France's Pauline Courtois has been crowned 2025 Women's Match Racing World Champion in Chicago, defeating New Zealand's Megan Thomson in a gripping final series.
Courtois steered her Match in Pink crew, comprising Maëlenn Lemaitre, Louise Acker, Sophie Faguet and Laurane Mettraux, to a two-races-to-one victory over Thomson's 2.0 Racing team. The French squad arrived at the final in dominant form, having topped the round robin with a near-perfect 10–1 record. Thomson's crew of Tiana Wittey, Josi Andres, Charlotte Porter and Hattie Rogers refused to capitulate, levelling the series in Race 2, but Courtois closed it out in the deciding third race.
Third place went to Denmark's Lea Richter Vogelius, who beat Australia's Juliet Costanzo in the petit final to leave Costanzo fourth. Sweden's Anna Östling finished fifth after falling in the quarter-finals, with France's Julia D'Amodio, the USA's Nicole Breault and the Netherlands' Julia Aartsen rounding out the top eight.
The semi-finals produced high-calibre racing. Courtois beat Costanzo to advance, while Thomson recovered from losing the opening race to eliminate Vogelius and book her place in the final. All four semi-finalists had earned their berths through the quarter-finals, where Courtois, Thomson, Costanzo and Vogelius each recorded decisive 2–1 wins.
Final standings
- Pauline Courtois (FRA) - Megan Thomson (NZL) - Lea Richter Vogelius (DEN) - Juliet Costanzo (AUS) - Anna Östling (SWE) - Julia D'Amodio (FRA) - Nicole Breault (USA) - Julia Aartsen (NED) - Celia Willison (NZL) - Kristine Mauritzen (DEN) - Martina Carlsson (SWE) - Kenza Coutard (FRA)
The Chicago championship wrapped up after a week of light, shifting winds on Lake Michigan that tested tactics as much as boat speed. Courtois's win extends her strong run of form, keeping her team at the top of the pile in women's match racing.
