Women's Match Racing World Championships at Chicago Yacht Club - Day 1
by Women's WMRT 17 Sep 21:26 PDT
17-20 September 2025
New Zealand's Megan Thomson and her 2.0 Racing Team made a flawless start to the 2025 World Sailing Women's Match Racing World Championship on Lake Michigan on Wednesday, scoring four wins from four races in challenging light conditions.
Defending world champion Pauline Courtois from France and her Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team also won both of their first two races in the opening qualifying round-robin.
After a short postponement ashore, the 2025 women's world championship event got under way in light 4-6 knot conditions with the twelve competing teams from seven countries scheduled into their respective matches in the opening round-robin stage. The top eight teams from the round-robin will advance to the quarter-final stage.
Despite the Windy City's famous skyline providing a dramatic backdrop, conditions on the lake proved anything but straightforward. Light and shifty breezes drifting in from the north-east tested crews throughout the day, with constant pressure changes demanding patient boat handling.
New Zealand's Thomson and her 2.0 Racing Team, representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, looked composed and confident in the tricky conditions, making them the standout performers on the opening day.
"It was a challenging day for everyone today in the light airs," added Thomson. "The girls did a great job getting us around the course and most importantly keeping us moving in the variable conditions, we are certainly hoping the breeze will fill in over the next few days."
France's Courtois and her Match in Pink Team also posted strong results winning their two races of the day against Denmark's Lea Richter Vogelius and New Zealand's Celia Willison. As defending women's match racing world champion, Courtois is a favourite to defend her team's crown.
With just four flights completed before Race Officer Anne Malledant cancelled racing for the day due to the light airs, the twelve teams still have plenty of racing in the qualifying round-robin stage to make the cut for the quarterfinals at the end of tomorrow or Friday morning subject to weather. With the forecast promising continuing light airs and warm weather, consistency and patience will be key for all teams over the coming days.
Racing continues tomorrow from 1030 local time.
For live results, follow womenswmrt.com/live-results
For images, visit gallery.hannahleenoll.com/2025-womens-match
World Sailing Women's Match Racing World Championship competitors:
Julia Aartsen, Team Out of the Box, NED
(Crew: Eva Asbeek Brusse, Ismene Usman, Nerine Usman, Saar Van Bemmel)
Nicole Breault, Vela Racing, USA
(Crew: Molly O'Bryan Vandemoer, Dana Riley Hayes, McKenzie Wilson, Hailey Thompson)
Martina Carlsson, Beyond Racing, SWE
(Crew: Svea Sahlin, Amanda Ljunggren, Hanna Gaskell-Brown, Hedvig Hedström)
Juliet Costanzo, Easy Tiger Racing, AUS
(Crew: Sarah Parker, Rachel Bower, Katie Pellew, Alice Parker)
Pauline Courtois, Match in Pink by Normandy Elite, FRA
(Crew: Maëlenn Lemaitre, Louise Acker, Sophie FAGUEt, Laurane Mettraux)
Kenza Coutard, Speedmuete Team, FRA
(Crew: Elena Circiello-Vaillant, Amandine Le Van Jacob, Chloé Le Roux, Flavie Foucher)
Julia D'Amodio, Shark Caviar Team, FRA
(Crew: Alice Chiappori, Lauret Valentine, Perrot Roxane, Pennanec'h Manon)
Kristine Mauritzen, Those Seagulls, DEN
(Crew: Emilie Nordby, Katrine Ejlev, Maria Reinhold, Julia Toroi)
Megan Thomson, 2.0 Racing, NZL
(Crew: Tiana Wittey, Josi Andres, Charlotte Porter, Hattie Rogers)
Lea Richter Vogelius, Team Katnakken, DEN
(Crew: Joan Hansen, Annette Srøm, Anne Sofie Munk-Hansen, Josefine Boel Rasmussen)
Celia Willison, Edge Women's Match, NZL
(Crew: Clare Costanzo, Phoebe Buckland, Serena Woodall, Ruby Scholten)
Anna Östling, WINGS Sailing, SWE
(Crew: Linnéa Wennergren, Annie Saeedfar Wennergren Annika Carlunger, Karin Knigge)