The 2011 Congressional Cup out of Long Beach YC welcomed hundreds of pedestrian spectators to watch some excellent match racing! This event not only featured many of the top names in match racing but also made for an impressive public display of racing as it was located just off the end of Veterans Memorial Pier in Long Beach.
Here's a photo of the pre-start of the final race between Bruni and Williams, showing just how close they got to the pier and the fans! At one point in the pre-start Bruni's backstay even hit the pier as the pair maneuvered toward the line! LBYC did a great job bringing the sport to the spectators with commentators, vendors, food and seating to watch. Even though the weather for the final matches was cold and windy it was great to see so many Californians exposed to the sport of sailing.
One woman in the crowd near me asked how a boat could get a penalty in the match racing. She was surprised to learn that there's a whole set of racing rules! Always great to see sailing getting more attention as a sport!
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