Pauline Courtois has done it again. The French skipper and her Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team have claimed a sixth consecutive world title at the Women's Match Racing World Championship, this time on the notoriously tricky waters of San Francisco Bay.
Courtois, sailing with Maëlenn Lemaitre, Louise Acker and Laurane Mettraux for Club de Voile Saint-Aubin Elbeuf, won 19 of the 20 matches they sailed across the four-day regatta against an 11-boat fleet that included some of the best match racers in the world.
The invitation-only event, raced in J/22s, was hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club and brought 12 of the world's best all-women match-racing teams together, with little separating them.
"The depth of talent at this event was remarkable," said Felix Weidling, StFYC's Race Director. "There were no easy races and no clear gaps in performance. Every team arrived extremely well prepared, highly professional and ready to compete at the highest level."
San Francisco Bay has a reputation for brutal breeze and churning current. This week, though, the wind refused to cooperate.
AP flags hung limp on three of the four mornings, leaving sailors to pass the time with card games and Jenga at the clubhouse. It was hardly what anyone expected from October on the Bay, though StFYC noted such conditions aren't abnormal for the season. Race officials made the most of it once the breeze filled in each day.
The format moved from a lengthy Round Robin through Quarterfinals, a placement series for fifth through eighth, and match-point Semifinals on the final day. In Sunday's Semifinals, Nicole Breault's Vela Racing team (USA), representing StFYC, beat Julia Aartsen's Out of the Box (NED), representing the Royal Netherlands Yacht Club, while Courtois beat Lucie Gout's L4C Racing Team (FRA), representing APCC Voile Sportive.
That set up a Petit Final in which Aartsen's Out of the Box beat Gout's L4C Racing Team to take third.
"We sailed our best event so far, so it's really great," Aartsen said, calling it the best result of her career. "They helped me stay focused. They did everything that they could do right, and that resulted in third place. Without them, I was nothing."
The Grand Final pitted Courtois against Breault's Vela Racing, sailing on home waters for host club StFYC. Lighter breeze or not, the Bay's currents still had plenty to say about the outcome.
Courtois won it 3-0.
"They fight as hard as ever in every single race they sail," Breault said of her opponents. "They don't ever let down. I applaud them: They are world champions and they're showing it every year."
Courtois was quick to point out the scoreline flattered her side. "It was a really tight final; the score doesn't reflect how tight it was," she said. "We are really happy to win against Nicole and Team Vela. It's always a tight battle, and it was really fun."
Asked for the secret behind six straight titles, Courtois credited boat speed above all else. "My team did an amazing job keeping the boat going fast all the time, which I think was a big key for us to win the match, because when you are faster, it's easier," she said. "I think that's a really big part of match racing, and it's a big team job."
Courtois and her crew collected the gold medal and the perpetual Françoise Pascal Memorial Trophy. Breault's Vela Racing took silver, with Aartsen's Out of the Box claiming bronze. American skipper Lindsey Baab and her Fog Racing team, representing the host club, won the Nucci Novi Ceppellini Memorial Trophy for topping the opening Round Robin series.
New Zealand sailors and fans have reason to pay closer attention next time. The 2027 championship heads to the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, with racing off Auckland from 22-26 November 2027.
