NORDIC RIVALRY TAKES CENTER STAGE AT 2026 KDY WOMEN’S MATCH RACE FINAL
Rungsted, Denmark (Saturday 9 May 2026) – The opening stage of the 2026 Women’s World Match Racing Tour will conclude with an all-Scandinavian final as Sweden’s Anna Östling and Wings Sailing prepare to take on Denmark’s Lea Vogelius/ WOW Racing at the Royal Danish Yacht Club’s KDY Women’s Match Race.
After three days of qualifying competition on the waters off Rungsted Harbour, 2022 and 2023 event winner Östling and her Wings Sailing team of Anna Holmdahl White, Linnea Wennergren, Jenny Axhede, Svea Sahlin and Annika Carlunger once again demonstrated why they remain one of the most respected teams in women’s match racing. The team led through a demanding semifinal match, defeating current Women’s Match Racing World Champions Match in Pink from France skippered by Pauline Courtois 3-1.
Standing opposite the Swedish match racing champions will be local favourite Lea Vogelius and her WOW Racing team of Louise Ulrikkeholm, Sille Christensen, Josefine Rasmussen, Maria Juul and Joan Hansen. Vogelius and crew defeated fellow Danish team Those Seagulls skippered by Kristine Mauritzen 3-1 in their earlier semi-final match to advance to tomorrow’s final.
“We love sailing the DS37’s,” commented Östling following the semifinal victory. “Lea and her team have been sailing very well all week and they also know these boats and waters well. We’re looking forward to a tough final.”
The matchup highlights both the experience of Wings Sailing and WOW Racing, both of whom are no strangers to the larger DS37 yachts. The pair met in the 2023 final of the KDY Women’s Match Race (which Östling and crew won), and Vogelius also finished runner-up in the 2024 finals against Danish skipper Camilla Ulrikkeholm Klinkby.
The KDY Women’s Match Race was established in 2022 as a founding event of the Women’s World Match Racing Tour and has hosted subsequent editions in ‘23 and ‘24. With valuable Tour points up for grabs in tomorrow’s final , the Swedish-Danish final promises to deliver a memorable start to the 2026 Women’s World Match Racing Tour season.
For more information on the KDY Women’s Match Race, visit https://womenswmrt.com/events/kdy-womens-match-race-2026/
For image gallery, click here https://photos.app.goo.gl/tuFNMKiA9aoKAXww6
For detailed results, see https://womenswmrt.com/live-results/
Teams competing:
🇫🇷 Pauline Courtois, Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team
Crew: Maelenn Lemaitre, Louise Acker, Thea Khelif, Laurane Mettraux, Sophie Faguet – Club de Voile St Aubin Elbeuf
🇸🇪 Anna Östling, WINGS – SWE
Crew: Anna Holmdahl White, Linnea Wennergren, Jenny Axhede, Svea Sahlin, Annika Carlunger
🇩🇰 Lea Vogelius, WOW Racing
Crew: Louise Ulrikkeholm, Sille Christensen, Josefine Rasmussen, Joan Hansen, Maria Juul
🇳🇱 Julia Aartsen, Team Out of the Box
Crew: Nerine Usman, Iris Van Gerrevink, Eva Asbeek Brusse, Ismene Usman
🇸🇪 Martina Carlsson, Beyond Racing Team
Crew: Klara Utterström, Amanda Ljunggren, Hanna Gaskell-Brown, Esther Lagerstand, Hedvig Hedström
🇫🇷 Julia D’Amodio, Shark Caviar Team
Crew: Alice Chiappori, Lilou Ruat, Clarisse Baissac, Roxane Perrot, Maïa Gargani
🇩🇰 Kristine Mauritzen, Those Seagulls
Crew: Maria Reinhold, Julie Erhardsen, Sofie Vendelboe, Julia Toroi, Helena Formgren
🇩🇰 Louise K Olesen, Team Louise
Crew: Camilla From, Mille Jensen, Line Mørkebjerg, Sara Keir Wright, Sophia Jørgensen
For more information on the KDY Women’s Match Race, visit https://womenswmrt.com/events/kdy-womens-match-race-2026/
For image gallery, click here https://photos.app.goo.gl/tuFNMKiA9aoKAXww6
See all of the results here
For information on the Royal Danish Yacht Club https://kdy.dk/
For information on WWMRT, visit womenswmrt.com
See the WWMRT website for more information and photos:
https://womenswmrt.com/events/kdy-womens-match-race-2026/
Women’s World Match Racing Tour 2026:
Stage 1 – KDY Women’s Match Race, Royal Danish Yacht Club, Rungsted, Denmark, 7-10 May - DS 37
Stage 2 – Santa Maria Cup, Eastport Yacht Club, Annapolis, USA, 3-6 June - J/22
Stage 3 – Nordea Womens Trophy – Match Cup Sweden, Marstrand, Sweden, 29 June – 4 July - Fareast 28R
Stage 4 – Bermuda Women’s Match Race, Hamilton, Bermuda, 13-18 October - Fareast 28R
Stage 5 – WWMRT FINAL AMAALA, Saudi Arabia, TBC November - J/70
About Women’s World Match Racing Tour
The Women’s World Match Racing Tour was launched in 2022 to continue the hugely successful legacy of the WIM Series (Women’s International Match Racing Series) providing a global match racing series for female sailors. The name of the series was re-launched as the Women’s World Match Racing Tour with its continued mission to expand and strengthen global match racing and promote opportunities for competitive women’s sailing at every level.
The Women’s World Match Racing Tour is the world’s first and only professional sailing series for women providing a valuable pathway for aspiring female world champions in the sport of sailing. womenswmrt.com
Contact: Women’s World Match Racing Tour info@wmrt.com
