Lea Vogelius and her WOW Racing crew launched the 2026 Women's World Match Racing Tour with a commanding home triumph at the KDY Women's Match Race, hosted by the Royal Danish Yacht Club at Rungsted Harbour. Sailing alongside Louise Ulrikkeholm, Sille Christensen, Josefine Rasmussen, Joan Hansen and Maria Juul, Vogelius beat Sweden's Anna Östling and the WINGS Sailing team 3-1 in the final to claim the title on familiar waters.
The victory was hard-earned across a full week of competition. WOW Racing moved through the double round robin qualifying stage with a 10-4 record before dispatching fellow Danish skipper Kristine Mauritzen 3-1 in the semi-finals to secure their place in the title match.
The final guaranteed Denmark and Sweden the top two steps of the podium before a race was sailed, setting up a Scandinavian showdown between the two nations. Östling, a previous champion of this event and a formidable opponent at any venue, took the opening race. Vogelius then won three straight to close it out, leaning on their familiarity with the Rungsted racecourse and their experience in the DS37 keelboats to edge clear of their Swedish rivals.
"It's been a tricky event for us, but we love sailing the DS37's," said Vogelius. "In the final against Anna and her team, we knew anything could happen but luckily we were super-fast today, and we are thrilled to get the win."
A pattern ran through the final that had already defined both semi-finals: an opening-race loss followed by a controlled comeback. In the final, Vogelius was the one executing the recovery rather than conceding to it.
Östling's silver rounded out a strong week for the Swede. She progressed through qualifying before eliminating defending champion Pauline Courtois of France in the semi-finals. Courtois went on to win the petit final and take third place overall. Mauritzen finished fourth, with Julia Aartsen of the Netherlands rounding out the top five.
Final
Race-by-race results. 1 = win, 0 = loss. First to three wins takes the title.
| Final | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lea Vogelius DEN Winner | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Anna Östling SWE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Overall standings
| # | Nat | Skipper | Crew |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DEN | Lea Vogelius | Louise Ulrikkeholm, Sille Christensen, Josefine Rasmussen, Joan Hansen, Anne Sofie Munk Hansen |
| 2 | SWE | Anna Östling | Anna Holmdahl White, Linnea Wennergren, Jenny Axhede, Svea Sahlin, Annika Carlunger |
| 3 | FRA | Pauline Courtois | Maelenn Lemaitre, Louise Acker, Thea Khelif, Laurane Mettraux, Sophie Faguet |
| 4 | DEN | Kristine Mauritzen | Helena Formgren, Julia Toroi, Sofie Vendelboe, Maria Reinhold, Julie Erhardsen |
| 5 | NED | Julia Aartsen | Nerine Usman, Iris Van Gerrevink, Eva Asbeek Brusse, Ismene Usman |
| 6 | DEN | Louise K Olesen | Camilla From, Mille Jensen, Line Mørkebjerg, Sara Keir Wright, Sophia Jørgensen |
| 7 | SWE | Martina Carlsson | Klara Utterström, Amanda Ljunggren, Hanna Gaskell-Brown, Esther Lagerstand, Hedvig Hedström |
| 8 | FRA | Julia D'Amodio | Alice Chiappori, Lilou Ruat, Clarisse Baissac, Roxane Perrot, Maïa Gargani |
With the opening stage complete, WOW Racing hold an early lead in the tour standings. The Women's World Match Racing Tour now heads to Annapolis, USA, for the Santa Maria Cup, hosted by the Eastport Yacht Club from 3 to 6 June.
First held in 1991, the Santa Maria Cup has grown into one of the most prestigious women's match racing events in the world, attracting Olympic sailors and world champions throughout its history. Past participants include JJ Isler, Dawn Riley, Julia Trotman, Jody Swanson, Betsy Alison, Cory Sertl, Sally Barkow and Anna Tunnicliffe. The 2026 edition marks the 25th year since the event's founding. Defending champion Allie Blecher, winner in 2025, is set to return, and Östling, who won the Santa Maria Cup in 2023 and finished on the podium last year, is expected to be among the leading contenders.
The Women's World Match Racing Tour was launched in 2022, carrying forward the legacy of the WIM Series (Women's International Match Racing Series). Operating under its current name, the tour aims to expand and strengthen match racing globally while building competitive pathways for women at every level of the sport. It remains the world's first and only professional sailing series for women.
