2023 Women's World Match Racing Tour - Day 1: Pushing the limits in Normandy

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.

Anna Östling (SWE) Team Wings - Normandie Match Cup, Stage 3 of the 2023 Women's World Match Racing Tour - photo © Patrick Deroualle

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!"

Julia Aartsen (NED) Out of the Box - Normandie Match Cup, Stage 3 of the 2023 Women's World Match Racing Tour - photo © Patrick Deroualle

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.

Team Five by Five - Normandie Match Cup, Stage 3 of the 2023 Women's World Match Racing Tour - photo © Patrick Deroualle

Overall positions after the Round Robin:

1. Pauline Courtois 9-1
2. Anna Östling 8-2
3. Julia Aartsen 7-3
3. Megan Thomson 7-3
5. Kenza Coutard 6-4
6. Celia Willison 4-6
6. Nicole Breault 4-6
8. Ali Morrish 3-7
8. Lea Richter Vogelius 3-7
10. Kristine Mauritzen 2-8
10. Sophie Otter 2-8