After seventeen races, it came down to perfect execution of the last maneuver of the last race to win the Congressional Cup for Peter Holmberg. Leading by 22 seconds, but needing to do a penalty turn before the finish, Peter and his crew hoisted their jib, dropped the spinnaker and spun around 270 degrees to cross the finish line moments before Markus Wieser of Germany.
The victory gave Holmberg and Wieser equal records of 15 wins and 3 losses, but Holmberg had defeated the number six ranked sailor both times they met.
Pressure was on Holmberg and the Team Dennis Conner/V.I. Cup Challenge crew from the start of the last day's racing. Markus Wieser led by one race. Holmberg and his crew of Ken Read on tactics, John Gluek main, Jon Gunderson trim, Matt Smith pit, and Ben Beer on bow had to win every race to win the regatta.
The first race was against Neville Witty of Australia. Holmberg wins the start, leads at the first crossing, and holds the lead to win by almost a minute.
The second race was against Paul Cayard, Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, Whitbread Round the World Race winner, and top America's Cup skipper. Holmberg and crew win the start, lead by three lengths at the first crossing, Cayard catches up on the down wind leg, at the finish Holmberg crosses the line eight seconds ahead.
This sets up the "Do or Die" final race against Wieser.
A collision during pre-start maneuvers resulted in a penalty ruled against Holmberg.
"He hit me from behind and they gave me the penalty," Holmberg said in a Congressional Cup release.
In a port/starboard crossing Holmberg expected to get a call against the German skipper which would cancel out his own. The umpires on the water waved a green flag, no penalty. Holmberg's crew had no choice but to try and stretch out the lead enough to do their penalty turn and still finish ahead.
Holmberg said, "(We) all kept our cool, and turned our aggression at the enemy."
This resulted in a great win, with the crowd going wild. Peter Holmberg has successfully defended his Congressionl Cup Championship against what Rich Roberts of the LBYC called, "Perhaps the strongest field in the 35 years the Long Beach Yacht Club has been staging the event."
