It may have taken until the afternoon for the wind to show up, but Chris Poole didn’t waste a second once it did. The defending champion opened the anniversary event with a flawless performance, rattling off six straight wins to end Day 1 undefeated.
"We had a great day today," Poole said dockside, sounding more relieved than triumphant. "The crew is working really well together and we’re taking it one race at a time. It's a good start, but we're focused on building momentum through the week."
If that sounds measured, it's because Poole knows better than to get ahead of himself. Still, with two Crimson Blazers already hanging in his closet, the American skipper has the look of a man in pursuit of a three-peat—and early on, at least, he seems very much in control.
While Poole sailed clean and fast, the chasing pack quietly made their own statements. Switzerland's Eric Monnin, Australia's Cole Tapper, and Long Beach Yacht Club's own David Hood each closed the day with four wins apiece. For Monnin, a seasoned match race veteran still chasing his first Congressional Cup title, it was a steady start. For Tapper, the current youth world match racing champion, it was proof his rise through the ranks has real momentum. And for Hood, a crowd favorite and local hero, it was a day to prove he belongs on this stage.
Meanwhile, Peter Wickwire and his Canadian Storm Match Racing crew made the most of their Congressional Cup debut. Wickwire, known more in Canadian and international circuits, tallied three wins—but none bigger than those over Monnin and Sweden’s Johnie Berntsson.
"We've been watching Johnie and Eric for a long time," Wickwire said, wearing the grin of a sailor still savoring the upset. "Sailing against them before, they’ve always cleaned us up. So today was a pretty cool day for us."
By late afternoon, Belmont Pier was buzzing. Aggressive pre-starts, sharp tactics, and photo-finish crosses kept spectators on their toes, rewarding the Congressional Cup's reputation as match racing at its purest.
With only six flights completed and three left in the opening round robin, the early leaderboard is hardly settled. But with Poole setting a high bar and plenty of heavy hitters in close pursuit, one thing is clear: the road to the Crimson Blazer remains as unforgiving as ever.
The 60th Congressional Cup resumes tomorrow, with racing scheduled to continue through the week—and with it, plenty of opportunity for heroes and heartbreak on the waters off Long Beach.
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