Spotlight on Women’s Match Racing in New Zealand

The Waitemata Harbor is the stage for world-class women’s sailing as the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron hosts the 2022 New Zealand Women’s Match Racing Championship on November 3-6, followed by the 2022 Women’s Match Racing World Championship on November 9-13 in Auckland, New Zealand.

The Kiwi Championship includes many of the favorites for the World Championship, alongside five teams who are after a coveted final World’s entry slot to be awarded to the top unqualified skipper.

World Sailing Women’s #1 Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink by Normandy Elite team (FRA) along with #2 Anna Ostling’s Wings (SWE) team headline the field vying for the Kiwi title and will be a very tough test to match up against after collectively dominating the last few years of women’s sailing.

Both teams are using the Kiwi Championship to get a feel for the Elliott 7 boats to be used for both regattas, and will be joined by four-time US Women’s Match Racing Champion Nicole Breault’s Vela Racing (USA).

Vela Racing is bringing an all-star line-up of American sailors with plenty of experience at winning American open, women’s and collegiate regattas. With local knowledge on the boat in RNZYS Mastercard Youth Training Program alum Aimee Famularo, the Vela girls are locked in for two weeks in New Zealand.

Fellow American Janel Zarkowsky, whose team beat Vela Racing to finish second in the 2022 U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship, will skip the New Zealand Championship to focus on the World title.

New Zealand Championship – World Championship

Source: RNZYS

UPDATE: The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron had listed Aimee Famularo as part of Nicole Breault’s Vela Racing (USA), but she is actually sailing with USA skipper Janel Zarkowsky’s team.