Sweden hosts Women’s World Match Racing Tour

The line-up of eight all-female match racing teams have been confirmed for the 2024 Nordea Women’s Trophy to be held July 1-6 on the island of Marstrand, Sweden. Hosted by GKSS (Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club), the event joins the 2024 Women’s World Match Racing Tour as an official stage and will take place alongside the 30th edition of the long-running GKSS Match Cup Sweden, a founding event of the World Match Racing Tour since 2000.

Heading the all-star line-up are defending event champion and Women’s World Match Racing Tour champions Anna Östling and her WINGS team from Sweden. France’s Pauline Courtois, two-time Women’s Match Racing World Champion, will also be in Marstrand with her Match in Pink Normandy Elite team.

Joining the line-up are New Zealand’s Celia Willison/ Edge Women’s Match, and Megan Thomson/ 2.0 Racing. Thomson and crew won the third stage of the Women’s WMRT at the Normandy Match Cup in Le Havre, France.

“We are super excited to get to Marstrand in July,” commented Thomson. “We have been doing a lot of match racing events this year already and we are sailing well, Marstrand is a fantastic venue and we are looking forward to competing.”

Completing the line-up are Julia Aartsen and her Out of the Box Team from the Netherlands, Kristine Mauritzen and her Seagulls team from Denmark, Renee Groeneveld from the Netherlands, and Martina Carlsson from Sweden.

“For us at GKSS, it is very important to show the sports world that we are engaged in an equal sport, where men and women have the same opportunities to compete at the highest level and at the finest sailing arena in the world,” said GKSS Manager Thomas Rahm. “We are delighted Nordea has joined us as sponsor of the Nordea Women’s Trophy and we look forward to welcoming these world class women’s match racing teams to Marstrand in July.”

WMRT Executive Director James Pleasance adds, “We are thrilled to have the Nordea Women’s Trophy as an official stage of the Women’s World Match Racing Tour. GKSS have been long term partners of the World Match Racing Tour for over 20 years, and we congratulate the club on their commitment in growing women’s match racing and on an international stage.”

Nordea Women’s Trophy Entries*
Anna Östling SWE (World Sailing Rank #1)
Pauline Courtois FRA (World Sailing Rank #2)
Celia Willison NZL (World Sailing Rank #3)
Megan Thomson NZL (World Sailing Rank #4)
Julia Aartsen NED (World Sailing Rank #8)
Kristine Mauritzen DEN (World Sailing Rank #10)
Renee Groeneveld NED (World Sailing Rank #21)
Martina Carlsson SWE (World Sailing Rank #47)

* Women’s World Sailing Ranking at May 1, 2024

Tour information – Race details – Facebook

Women’s World Match Racing Tour 2024
April 23-26 – Santa Maria Cup – Annapolis USA
May 2-5 – Casa Vela Cup – San Francisco USA
May 17-20 – Normandy Match Cup – Le Havre, France
July 1-6 – Nordea Women’s Trophy / Match Cup Sweden – Marstrand, Sweden
Sept. 5-8 – KDY Women’s Match Race – Skovshoved, Denmark
Oct. 28-Nov. 3 – Bermuda

A team’s Tour points total will be the sum of their best three (3) scores.

The team with the highest score at the end of the season will be 2024 Women’s World Match Racing Tour Champion.

2024 Notice of Tour: https://womenswmrt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/WWMRT-2024-Notice-of-Tour.pdf

The Women’s World Match Racing Tour was launched in 2022 to continue the hugely successful legacy of the WIM Series (Women’s International Match Racing Series) providing a global match racing series for female sailors. The name of the series was re-launched as the Women’s World Match Racing Tour with its continued mission to expand and strengthen global match racing and promote opportunities for competitive women’s sailing at every level. The Women’s World Match Racing Tour is the world’s first and only professional sailing series for women providing a valuable pathway for aspiring female world champions in the sport of sailing. womenswmrt.com

Source: WWMRT