San Francisco Bay will host the 2026 World Sailing Women's Match Racing World Championship, with St Francis Yacht Club confirmed for the event running from 30 September to 4 October.
St Francis Yacht Club has built a strong record in elite women's sailing, having previously staged the 2023 and 2025 Women's World Match Racing Tour, the 2025 US Women's Match Racing Championship, and the 2022 US Women's Match Racing Championship Qualifier. Club commodore Susan Ruhne pointed to that history when welcoming the announcement: "For several years running our club has been committed to hosting and fostering high-level competitions for female sailors," she said. "The Bay Area has become a growing hub for women's professional sports, so this will be a thrilling event for spectators and sailing fans."
World Sailing Vice-President Cory Sertl described San Francisco Bay as one of the world's most demanding and spectacular natural arenas for competitive sailing, and placed the championship in a broader context. "We are not just crowning a world champion," he said. "We are providing a global stage that matches the incredible skill, intensity, and strategic brilliance of these elite athletes."
Defending champion Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team return to protect a five-year winning streak with few parallels in the sport. The French skipper from Le Havre claimed her fifth consecutive title last September at Chicago Yacht Club and will face 11 top-ranked women skippers drawn from the World Sailing Women's Match Racing Rankings.
Racing will be held in round robin format, with crews of four or five competing aboard the club's fleet of J/22s. A practice day opens proceedings on 30 September, four days of racing follow, and finals and prize-giving conclude the championship on 4 October.
