Le Havre, France (28 May 2023) A fresh breeze in Le Havre Normandy tested the eleven all-women international teams yesterday competing at the Normandie Match Cup, Stage 3 of the 2023 Women’s World Match Racing Tour. Finishing the two-day round robin, local favourite Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink team led the qualifying stage with nine wins from ten matches. The top eight teams now advance to the quarterfinals.
After a long and challenging day of racing in sunny conditions and a brisk 15-18 knot breeze from the north, the round robin matches saw plenty of action in the pre-starts as well as lively downwind runs in the matched fleet of J80’s.
Chasing Courtois with equal points until their last race of the day against each other was Sweden’s WINGS team skippered by Anna Östling and her regular crew of Annika Carlunger and Linnea Wennergren, with Klara Wester and Martina Carlsson joining the team this week in Normandy.
Fresh from the team’s recent win at the second stage of the Women’s WMRT at the Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, Östling and crew were revelling in today’s conditions:
“We really enjoyed the tricky conditions today with a lot of breeze at the top mark” commented Östling, “but you really have to be on your toes all the time with these boats. It was a great effort by the girls onboard however and some good starts for us today made all the difference – we’re looking forward to the next few days!”
Finishing an impressive third in the round robin is Julia Aartsen and her ‘Out of the Box’ team from Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Aarsten finished the round robin with 7 wins and only 3 losses, tied with New Zealand’s Megan Thomson/ 2.0 Racing.
“We are loving sailing here” said Aartsen, “we are usually more lighter wind sailors but we have been doing well here which is great, we were training on J70’s before the event which are similar and that has helped us for sure.”
The Quarter Finals continue today from 1030 CEST. Follow live results here
Overall positions after the Round Robin
- FRA Pauline Courtois 9–1
- SWE Anna Östling 8–2
- NED Julia Aartsen 7–3.
- NZL Megan Thomson 7–3
- FRA Kenza Coutard 6–4
- NZL Celia Willison 4–6
- USA Nicole Breault 4–6
- GBR Ali Morrish 3–7
- DEN Lea Richter Vogelius 3–7
- DEN Kristine Mauritzen 2–8
- GBR Sophie Otter 2–8
Normandie Match Cup 2023 Teams
Celia Willison (NZL)/ EDGE Womens Match – Rebecca Coles, Ruby Scholten, Alison Kent, Laurane Mettraux
Kristine Mauritzen (DEN)/ Those Seagulls – Malene Christensen, Helena Gustavs Formgren, Oda Svalestuen, Emilie Lauritzen
Pauline Courtois (FRA)/ Match in Pink – Louise Acker, Clara Bayo, Théa Khleif, Maëlenn Lemaitre
Nicole Breault (USA)/ Vela Racing – Julie Mitchell, Molly Vandemoer, Karen Loutzenheiser, Dana Hayes
Julia Aartsen (NED)/ Team Out of the Box – Eva Asbeek, Brusse, Isemene Usman, Nerine Usman, Iris van Gerrevink
Anna Östling (SWE)/ Wings Sailing – Annika Carlunger, Klara Wester, Martina Carlsson, Linnea Wennergren
Kenza Coutard (FRA)/ Speedmeute – Nell Castilla, Eolia Rio, Victtoire Lerat, Enza Geslin
Lea Richter Vogelius (DEN)/ Team Kattnakken – Joan Hansen, Helle Hansen, Annette Jacobsen, Helena Jarlgaard
Alison Morrish (GBR)/ Five by Five – Sarah Jarman, Kat Selfe, Rachel Tilley, Nicole Mcpherson
Sophie Otter (GBR)/ Otter Racing – Jasmine Boote, Hebe Hemming, Hatty Ward, Rosie Rowell
Megan Thomson (NZL)/ 2.0 Racing Team – Josi Andres, Jo Aleh, Lisa Dartnall, Sophie Fyfe
About Women’s World Match Racing Tour
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. See womenswmrt.com
2023 Women’s World Match Racing Tour
April 24-28 – Casa Vela Cup (J/22) – San Francisco, USA
April 30-May 4 – Santa Maria Cup (J/22) – Annapolis, USA
May 26-29 – Normandy Match Cup (First 7.5) – Le Havre, FRA
September 21-24 – KDY Women’s Match Race (DS37) – Copenhagen, DEN
Issued by WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR
