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. 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. Photo: Patrick Deroualle
Team Five by Five   Photo: Patrick Deroualle
EDGE Womens Match   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

Overall positions after the Round Robin

1. FRA Pauline Courtois 9–1

2. SWE Anna Östling 8–2

3. NED Julia Aartsen 7–3.

3. NZL Megan Thomson 7–3

5. FRA Kenza Coutard 6–4

6. NZL Celia Willison 4–6

6. USA Nicole Breault 4–6

8. GBR Ali Morrish 3–7

8. DEN Lea Richter Vogelius 3–7

10. DEN Kristine Mauritzen 2–8

10. GBR Sophie Otter 2–8
Normandie Match Cup 2023 Teams

  1. Celia Willison (NZL)/ EDGE Womens Match – Rebecca Coles, Ruby Scholten, Alison Kent, Laurane Mettraux
  2. Kristine Mauritzen (DEN)/ Those Seagulls – Malene Christensen, Helena Gustavs Formgren, Oda Svalestuen, Emilie Lauritzen
  3. Pauline Courtois (FRA)/ Match in Pink – Louise Acker, Clara Bayo, Théa Khleif, Maëlenn Lemaitre
  4. Nicole Breault (USA)/ Vela Racing – Julie Mitchell, Molly Vandemoer, Karen Loutzenheiser, Dana Hayes
  5. Julia Aartsen (NED)/ Team Out of the Box – Eva Asbeek, Brusse, Isemene Usman, Nerine Usman, Iris van Gerrevink
  6. Anna Östling (SWE)/ Wings Sailing – Annika Carlunger, Klara Wester, Martina Carlsson, Linnea Wennergren
  7. Kenza Coutard (FRA)/ Speedmeute – Nell Castilla, Eolia Rio, Victtoire Lerat, Enza Geslin
  8. Lea Richter Vogelius (DEN)/ Team Kattnakken – Joan Hansen, Helle Hansen, Annette Jacobsen, Helena Jarlgaard
  9. Alison Morrish (GBR)/ Five by Five – Sarah Jarman, Kat Selfe, Rachel Tilley, Nicole Mcpherson
  10. Sophie Otter (GBR)/ Otter Racing – Jasmine Boote, Hebe Hemming, Hatty Ward, Rosie Rowell
  11. Megan Thomson (NZL)/ 2.0 Racing Team – Josi Andres, Jo Aleh, Lisa Dartnall, Sophie Fyfe
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