Skippers Nicole Breault, representing the U.S., and Canadian Peter Wickwire will round out the 10-team field for this week’s 60th running of the Congressional Cup, after taking the top and third spots, respectively, in Ficker Cup on Sunday, April 27.
The three-day Ficker Cup, which began on Friday and takes place off the Long Beach coast, has preceded the Congressional Cup every year since 1980. It also acts as a qualifier for the final two spots in the Congressional Cup, with the other competitors joining the iconic match race by invitation-only.
But the competition’s winner, Maxime Mesnil of France, did not accept her Congressional Cup invite because her team is already committed to sailing for Switzerland’s Eric Monnin in the Congressional Cup, according to Ficker Cup Chair Ken Mattfeld and Congressional Cup Chair Steve Meyer. So instead, Wickwire will join Breault as the final to Congressional Cup entrants.
Winning her Ficker Cup matches 3-2 on Sunday, April. 27, 2025, American skipper Nicole Breault and her crew steered their way into next week’s Congressional Cup, (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
A French team skippered by Maxime Mesnil lines up for the pre-start of a match race on Sunday, Apr. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Teams compete in Ficker Cup match racing on Sunday, Apr. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Teams compete in Ficker Cup match racing with Catalina Island in the background on Sunday, Apr. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Teams compete in Ficker Cup match racing on Sunday, Apr. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Teams compete in Ficker Cup match racing with Catalina Island in the background on Sunday, Apr. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Spectators gather on the Belmont Pier to watch Ficker Cup match racing on Sunday, Apr. 27, 2025. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
An American team skippered by Nicole Breault competes in match racing at the Ficker Cup on Sunday, April. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
A French team skippered by Maxime Mesnil, left, competes against Peter Wickmire and his Canadien team in round robin match racing at the Ficker Cup on Sunday, April. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Winning her Ficker Cup matches 3-2 off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach on Sunday, April. 27, 2025, American skipper Nicole Breault, right, advances to next week’s Congressional Cup, (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Winning her Ficker Cup matches 3-2 off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach on Sunday, April. 27, 2025, American skipper Nicole Breault, center, steers her way into next week’s Congressional Cup, (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
American skipper Nicole Breault, right, competes in the Ficker Cup on Sunday, April. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
American skipper Nicole Breault, center, competes in the Ficker Cup on Sunday, April. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
A French team skippered by Maxime Mesnil, left, competes against Peter Wickmire and his Canadien team in round robin match racing at the Ficker Cup on Sunday, April. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
An American team skippered by Nicole Breault, right, competes against a French team led by Aurelien Pierroz in match racing at the Ficker Cup on Sunday, April. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
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Winning her Ficker Cup matches 3-2 on Sunday, April. 27, 2025, American skipper Nicole Breault and her crew steered their way into next week’s Congressional Cup, (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
This year’s Ficker Cup, organized by the Long Beach Yacht Club, featured eight top-tier skippers and their crews, according to event chair Ken Mattfeld.
“This year, we have an incredibly talented lineup of sailors for the Ficker Cup” Mattfeld said in a statement before the event. “They are all ranked within the top 30 worldwide so it promises to be a fierce battle to secure the final two spots in the 60th Congressional Cup.”
And while the Ficker Cup did, indeed, provide three days of thrilling match races, Mesnil came out on top, beating Breault in the final.
Besides Breault, Wickwire and Monnin, the other skippers who will compete for the Congressional Cup and the Crimson Blazer bestowed upon the winners are:
Two-time defending champion Chris Poole (USA).
2009 winner Johnie Berntsson (Sweden).
Rocco Attili (Italy).
Dave Hood (United States).
Cole Tapper (Australia).
Ian Garreta (France).
Björn Hansen (Sweden).
The Congressional Cup — considered the “granddaddy” of match racing — will run from Wednesday to Sunday, April 30-May 4.
Freelance writer Jo Murray contributed to this report.
