US Women’s Match Racing Championship

Nicole Breault and her team Vela Racing (Hailey Thompson, Molly Vandemoer, and McKenzie Wilson) claimed their fifth career victory at the U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship, held in 2025 on August 15-17 in San Francisco, CA. Using J/22s, Breault was perfect through the qualifying round robin stage, then remained undefeated through the quarter- and semi-final rounds before defeating Lindsey Baab 3-1 in the finals.

Event information – Race details – Results

Report from US Sailing:
In a hard-fought final against skipper Lindsey Baab and her crew Kate Shiber, Elena VandenBerg, and Helen Lord, Vela Racing prevailed in foggy, challenging conditions with steady winds of 18–20 knots and strong San Francisco Bay currents.

“I love sailing here [in San Francisco], I love all the people here, and this event is amazing, and the talent level is so high,” said Breault. “I was really psyched to come away with the win, but I also really value what the other teams are bringing to the table. I feel so lucky that I have been able to play the game as long as I have. Competition was incredible, lots of newcomers who have come a long way in a short time.”

Brault and Baab have been training partners in San Francisco, staging a series of “match race Mondays” at St. Francis Yacht Club. Their head-to-head matchup in the finals is the culmination of months of drills, dial-ups, and debriefs to prepare.

Breault and her team will take the energy from this win into the 2025 Women’s Match Racing World Championship, where they will represent the U.S. this fall at Chicago Yacht Club. “We took the country, and now we’re ready to take on the world,” said Breault about Worlds.

The championship, hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club, featured a talented field of all-women teams from across the country. After a full day of tight quarterfinal and semifinal racing in classic Bay conditions marked by steady breeze and a signature visit from “Karl the Fog,” the stage was set for a thrilling final.

Molly Carapiet and her team of Kate Gaumond, Evan Cahill, and Megan Grimes took on Caroline Bayless, Nora Ong, Noelle Owen, and Emma Montgomery in the petit finals in a battle for third place. Carapiet and her team were able to best Bayless in the heavy breeze conditions, claiming third with a 2-1 victory.

Entry list:
• Lindsey Baab / Helen Lord / Kate Shiber / Elena VandenBerg – StFYC
• Caroline Bayless / Emma Montgomery / Nora Ong / Noelle Owen – AYC Foundation/Something Chill Yacht Club
• Allie Blecher / Ali Blumenthal / Beka Schiff / Katja Sertl – Team BAAM / California YC
• Nicole Breault / Hailey Thompson / Molly Vandemoer / McKenzie Wilson – Vela Racing / StFYC
• Molly Carapiet / Evan Cahill / Kate Gaumond / Megan Grimes – StFYC / SFYC
• Marilyn Cassedy / Carling Freeborn / Ellie Glenn / Megan Marsh – California YC
• Gwynie Dunlevy / Eva Fortunato / Whitney Kent / Marley Mais – CBYRA/AYCF
• Julia Jaynes / Liz Hopkins / Caroline Salas / Rochelle VanTil – Williwaw / Alamitos Bay YC
• Michelle Lahrkamp / Trish Gerli / Sammy Pickell / Ana Clare Sole – Stanford Sailing Alumnae
• Rebecca McElvain / Erika Barth / Lindsey Kloc / Julie Mitchell