Sailing-Monnin stuns Poole to claim first Congressional Cup
LONG BEACH, California (Reuters) -Swiss skipper Eric Monnin clinched his first Congressional Cup on Sunday, beating champion Chris Poole of the United States 3–2 in a tense final at the 60th staging of the regatta known as the 'granddaddy' of match sailing.
Monnin finally got his hands on the silverware — and the crimson blazer that comes with it — at his 11th attempt. The win wasn't just sweet for Monnin, it was a spoiler too, as he stopped Poole from sailing into the history books.
Poole, fresh off a clean sweep against Aussie Cole Tapper in the semis, had been aiming to become only the second skipper to win three successive regatta victories, after American ace Taylor Canfield's feat from 2014 to 2016.
"Chris put a lot of pressure on us, and we were close to cracking under it," 49-year-old Monnin said. "But winning this regatta is a big step for us. It's a big deal, and it means a lot to do it with this crew," he said of the team, which included his wife Ute and brother Jean-Claude.
The closely fought final saw the lead change hands multiple times, with Poole drawing first blood before Monnin responded with back-to-back victories. The American levelled in race four, setting up a decisive winner-takes-all encounter.
The climactic race delivered drama as Monnin suffered an early penalty off the start line but kept in contention in the light, fickle breeze. Fortune swung his way at the first windward mark when Poole clipped the buoy, earning a penalty that cancelled out Monnin's earlier infringement.
With the slate wiped clean, a game of inches ensued. Monnin nursed a slender lead down the final run before the boats split gybes at the bottom of the course. Despite Poole catching a late puff to narrow the gap, the Swiss held firm to secure victory.
Australia's Tapper completed the podium, claiming third place after defeating American Dave Hood in another series that went the distance. The result marked remarkable progress for Tapper's Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) Youth Sailing Academy team, which finished eighth in their Congressional Cup debut last year.
The Congressional Cup has been a fixture of the World Match Racing Tour since 1965, and is a high-stakes duel in Long Beach where six- or seven-person teams race identical Catalina 37s, all under a strict 525kg crew weight limit.
Podium:1-Eric Monnin / Capvis Swiss Match Racing (Switzerland)crew: Ute Monnin Wagner, Mathieu Renault, Jean-Claude Monnin, Simon Brügger, Julien Falxa, Maxime Mesnil2-Chris Poole / Riptide Racing (U.S.)crew: Joachim Aschenbrenner, Ben Lamb, Mal Parker, Rob Scivenor, and Harry West3-Cole Tapper / CYCA (Australia)crew: Jack Frewin, Max Brennan, Hamish Vass, Nathan Gulliksen, and George Richardson
(Reporting by Ossian Shine; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
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