Defending champion Allie Blecher will lead the four-team battle for the 2026 Santa Maria Cup title after qualifying concluded in Annapolis, Maryland.
Blecher and Team BAAM topped the standings following the completion of the double round-robin stage at the second event of the Women's World Match Racing Tour. Joining the American team in Saturday's semi-finals are Sweden's Anna Östling and Martina Carlsson, along with Dutch skipper Julia Aartsen.
Semi-Final Showdown — Sweden's Anna Östling and the Netherlands' Julia Aartsen battle for the opening point of their Santa Maria Cup semi-final series in Annapolis. Photo: Ted Morgan
A delayed start on Friday saw competitors wait ashore as high temperatures prevented the sea breeze from developing over Annapolis. Racing eventually got underway late in the morning, allowing organisers to complete the remaining qualifying matches and confirm the final four teams.
The racecourse, set off the United States Naval Academy, produced another day of close contests. One of the day's standout performances came from China's Olympic gold medallist Lily Xu Lijia, competing in her first Women's World Match Racing Tour event. Xu secured a notable victory over former Santa Maria Cup winner Anna Östling.
At the end of qualifying, Blecher finished on 15 wins to top the leaderboard. Just one point behind were Östling and Team Wings, who produced one of the strongest second-round performances of the regatta, finishing with 14 wins.
"It was a long day today, but we were pleased to finish second in the double round robin and advance to the semi-final," said Östling. "It was good to win our first semi-final match against Julia [Aartsen], and we are looking forward to tomorrow's final day with more breeze forecast too."
Title Defence — Defending Santa Maria Cup champion Allie Blecher and Team BAAM continued their strong form in Annapolis, moving within one win of the final after taking a 2-0 lead in their semi-final series. Photo: Ted Morgan
Carlsson and Beyond Racing secured the final semi-final place after recovering from an inconsistent opening day. The Swedish crew narrowly edged New Zealand's Megan Thomson and 2.0 Racing for a place in the knockout rounds. Aartsen and Team Out of the Box completed the semi-final line-up after consistent performances across both qualifying stages earned them 13 wins.
The first-to-three-point semi-final series began immediately after qualifying.
As top seed, Blecher selected Carlsson as her opponent and won the opening two matches to move within one point of the final. In the second semi-final, Östling took the opening point against Aartsen after a closely fought race. Although the Dutch team crossed the finish line only seconds behind, two penalties handed victory to the Swedish crew.
The semi-finals continue on Saturday, with the winners advancing to the Santa Maria Cup final and valuable Women's World Match Racing Tour championship points.
