Team DutchSail closes Women's International Championship with victory in final race
by Bart Salemans 21 Sep 07:46 PDT
23 September - 2 October 2026
Women's International Championship 2026 © Sander van der Borch / DutchSail
Team DutchSail finished ninth overall at the Women's International Championship in Newport, competing in a fleet of 20 teams. The Dutch crew rounded off the event in style, claiming victory in the tenth and final race.
The overall title went to skipper Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick and her team, representing Sail Newport.
For Team DutchSail, the championship was a week of learning, development and steadily improving performance on the water. Bringing together sailors from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, the Dutch crew gained valuable experience in a highly competitive international fleet. Victory in the final race provided a fitting reward for the progress made throughout the event.
Learning from each other's experience
Olympic champion Annette Duetz, tactician aboard Team DutchSail, looks back on the championship with great positivity. For her, the event was special not only from a sporting perspective, but also because of the team's diverse composition and the opportunity to learn from one another.
"It was really cool that this event was organised specifically for women. What made our team so special was that we all came into it with very different backgrounds, and we learned an enormous amount from each other. Laila van der Meer and I come from Olympic sailing, and this was actually our first major big-boat event. We also had sailors with extensive big-boat experience, as well as Svea Karsenbarg, who has experience across all disciplines. We learned so much from one another, and we also had a lot of fun," Duetz said.
According to Duetz, the team made clear progress as the championship unfolded.
"We look back on the event very positively. We kept getting better on the water and made real progress. At the same time, it feels a little strange, because this was our first week sailing this particular boat. If the event were to start again now, we would be much better prepared. But that is part of the format, and this boat simply isn't based in Europe."
The atmosphere throughout the championship also made a lasting impression. Sailors from different generations, disciplines and sailing backgrounds came together, united by their appreciation for the opportunity to race against one another.
"There was a really positive vibe throughout the event, which was lovely to experience," Duetz said. "It would be fantastic if the championship were organised again in two years' time and we could take part once more with a Dutch team."
Strong finish with victory in race ten
The final day of racing demonstrated just how far Team DutchSail had progressed during the championship. A win in race ten gave the Dutch crew a sporting highlight on which to close out the event.
Skipper Laura van Veen reflected proudly on the team's performance:
"We finished the event in first place in the final race, and we're incredibly proud of the team. It's been two intensive weeks, with plenty of ups and downs, but today all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. We had good boat speed, our tactical decisions were right, we rounded the marks well, and our boat handling was strong. The team was really working as one."
"When the event ends, you're ready to start the event."
Those words, spoken by the American coach just days before the championship began, proved particularly fitting, according to Van Veen.
"I think that's exactly how it turned out. I'm incredibly proud of how we put this project together and that we were given this opportunity. We're hugely grateful to our supporting sponsors and donors who believed in us."
Initiator Saar van Bemmel is equally proud of what the team has built together.
"It's wonderful to see that everything you've been working towards over the past year has ultimately taken shape just as you imagined it. I'm incredibly proud of the team and very happy that we had the opportunity to sail here. It was an amazing adventure, with fantastic sailing and some wonderful racing."
A foundation to build on
Although Team DutchSail finished ninth overall, the progress made throughout the week provides encouragement for the future. The final-race victory underlined the crew's growing ability to compete with the fleet, including teams with considerably more experience in the boats.
"It was amazing to see all these women raising their level throughout the event. The racing was incredibly exciting," Van Veen said.
"The teams that had already sailed these boats extensively were strong at the beginning, but by the end, we were catching up with them. If the event had gone on a little longer, we might even have been fighting for the win. That only makes us more enthusiastic about continuing."
With valuable racing experience, a close-knit team and a victory in the final race, Team DutchSail looks back on a successful first chapter. The Women's International Championship in Newport demonstrated what can be achieved when sailors from diverse backgrounds come together, learn from one another and develop as a team. For the Dutch sailors, the experience has left them eager for more.
Marieke Poulie, a board member of DutchSail, was in Newport during the final days of the championship and praised the team's performance after the event.
"Conditions were particularly challenging on Saturday, the final day of racing. The women sailed exceptionally well. They got off the starting line cleanly and made the right decisions. They showed that they belong at this level.
"Looking at the progress the team made throughout the week, we at DutchSail can only be incredibly proud of what they achieved and the way they went about it. I'd also like to thank the New York Yacht Club for organizing this event," Poulie said.
Team DutchSail for the Women's International Championship 2026 consisted of:
Anna Houtzager, Laurien Waller, Svea Karsenbarg, Saar van Bemmel, Feline Vreeburg, Sanne Akkerman, Laura van Veen, Laila van der Meer, Susan Huizer and Annette Duetz.