42nd Congressional Cup: Mathieau Richard leading the way by winning all his matches

Source: Long Beach Yacht Club

Wth France's Mathieu Richard leading the way by winning all five of his matches, the five European competitors in the 42nd Congressional Cup presented by Acura won 18 of their 25 races Tuesday to claim the top three positions on opening day.

Close behind Richard, who is eighth in the current International Sailing Federation (ISAF) rankings, stand Great Britain's Ian Williams (No. 7) and Finland's Staffan Lindberg (13) at 4-1.

Conversely, the three New Zealanders---four if you count local Scott Dickson who has lived in Long Beach for a decade---were 7-13, an atypical mark for a small country that turns out champion match racers like sheepskin slippers.

Read more about the congressional cup and see the video in the section Match Race Events