Match Racing World titles in Saudi Arabia

World Sailing has selected the Jeddah Yacht Club & Marina in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to host the upcoming 2024 Youth Match Racing World Championship on December 2-November 29, and the 2024 Women’s Match Racing World Championship on December 5-8.

Located on the Red Sea coast, Jeddah Yacht Club & Marina recently hosted the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta for the 37th America’s Cup cycle.

“This will be the first time World Sailing has organised an event in Saudi Arabia, one of the fastest growing sporting markets in the world and is the perfect opportunity to accelerate the development of sailing in the region,” reports World Sailing President Quanhai Li.

David Graham, World Sailing Chief Executive Officer, added how this selection “marks an important step in our mission to grow the sport globally. The Red Sea region is home to nine million people and there is huge untapped potential to develop event programs for the benefit of people across the Gulf, Africa and all across the sailing world.”

Both events will feature a maximum of 12 teams and use the FarEast 28 racing keelboat. Competition will include five rounds: a round robin, a repechage, quarter finals, semi finals and the Grand Final, with a Petit Final to determine third and fourth place.

The World Sailing Youth Match Racing World Championship is open to competitors who will be under the age of 23 on December 31, 2024. Crews consist of four or five members, and include at least one female and one male sailor, with a total weight limit of 350kg.

The Women’s Match Racing World Championship is an annual event which was first held in 1999, with the 2023 event in Middelfart, Denmark. Eleven teams raced in Blu26 class Keelboats, with the title won by Pauline Courtois and the Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team for the third consecutive year.

The 2024 World Sailing Youth Match Racing World Championship and the Women’s Match Racing World Championship will be organised by the Saudi Sailing Federation in cooperation with Jeddah Yacht Club & Marina and the Ministry of Sport.

• Notice of Race for the 2024 Youth Match Racing World Championship: click here
• Notice of Race for the 2024 Women’s Match Racing World Championship: click here

Source: World Sailing