Courtois Starts Women’s Match Racing Tour Unbeaten

9th May 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Pink Pace — Pauline Courtois and Match in Pink Normandy Elite Team lead the opening day of the KDY Women’s Match Race in Rungsted, Denmark Credit: Ian Roman

The 2026 Women’s World Match Racing Tour got underway in Rungsted, Denmark, on Thursday with the opening day of the KDY Women’s Match Race. Hosted by the Royal Danish Yacht Club, the event is the first of five regattas on this season’s women’s world tour calendar.

Eight teams from France, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands are competing in the four-day event. The format features a double round robin qualifying series before the semi-finals and finals.

Women’s match racing crews fight for space in Denmark. Photo: Ian Roman

Defending Women’s Match Racing World Champion Pauline Courtois of France made a strong start. Her Match in Pink Normandy Elite Team finished the opening day unbeaten with five wins from five races.

Sweden’s Anna Östling and her WINGS Sailing Team opened with three wins and two losses. Östling won the Denmark event in both 2022 and 2023 and also claimed victory here in 2024.

“It was a little up and down for us,” Östling said. “But we had a good day, and we would rather make mistakes early on in the event - we still have plenty of racing to go.”

Denmark’s Kristine Mauritzen and her local Seagulls team also impressed on home waters. They posted four wins on the opening day, just one point behind Courtois.

Racing continues through Sunday, 9 May.

Published in Match Racing, Women in Sailing

Published in Match Racing

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