Finalists panel at World Sailing Women's Match Racing World Championship

St Francis Yacht Club to host 2026 Women's Match Racing World Championship © Simone Staff

Ahead of the final day of competition in the 2026 World Sailing Women's Match Racing World Championship, St. Francis Yacht Club (StFYC) will host an online Finalists Panel featuring the top teams vying for the title.

Starting on October 1, top-ranked women's match race teams from seven countries and 10 yacht clubs will battle on San Francisco Bay for the women's match racing world championship title. Saturday's Finalists Panel will give press and sailing fans an opportunity to hear from the best of the best in women's match racing as they prepare to hit the water for the final head-to-head races for the championship.

WHAT: 2026 World Sailing Women's Match Racing World Championship Finalists Panel.

• Questions for the panel discussion can be submitted through this Google Form until Friday, October 2 at 12:00 p.m. PDT.

WHEN: Live online event on Saturday, October 3, 2026, 5:00 p.m. PDT.

• A recording of the panel will be made available following the live broadcast.

WHERE: Virtual via Zoom. Join Zoom meeting.

WHO: 2026 World Championship Finalists, Regatta Organizers.

Organizers are accepting suggested questions for the Finalist Panel via a Google Form until Friday, October 2, at 12:00 p.m. PDT.

The competition in this world championship regatta is made up of 12 international skippers, including the defending 2025 world champion, the 10 highest-ranked skippers on World Sailing's Match Racing ranking list, plus one skipper from the hosting country, selected by StFYC and US Sailing.

All eyes are on Pauline Courtois (FRA) and her Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team, seeking their sixth consecutive world championship title. Meanwhile, hometown hero Nicole Breault (USA) hopes to build upon her 2025 U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship victory and seventh-place seeding in the world rankings with the Vela Racing Team. Allie Blecher (USA) and Team BAAM! are entering the world championship fresh off a silver medal finish at the 2026 U.S. Championships. These teams are up against two other French teams, an additional American team from StFYC, and teams from Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Sweden.

The skippers and teams descend upon San Francisco this week for racing in four stages: round-robin, quarter finals, semi-finals, and finals/petit finals. Teams compete in head-to-head racing aboard J/22s provided by StFYC. Racing begins on Thursday, October 1, at 10:30 a.m. Results throughout the regatta will be posted on the official notice board.

More information on the regatta can be found in a team announcement press release, as well as on the World Sailing website and the official noticeboard.