WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR FINALS SET FOR HISTORIC DOUBLE-HEADER AT AMAALA YACHT CLUB
– World Match Racing Tour and Women’s World Match Racing Tour Finals to be staged at AMAALA Yacht Club in Saudi Arabia for the first time
– The world’s leading match racers will compete on the Red Sea, with pristine waters and reliable trade winds providing a new stage for world-class racing
– For the first time both Finals will be staged back-to-back, with equal $200,000 prize purses and the women’s event offering a record prize.
(18 August 2026, Saudi Arabia) – The World Match Racing Tour makes its Saudi Arabian debut this November, with AMAALA Yacht Club set to host the 2026 World Match Racing Tour Finals and Women’s World Match Racing Tour Final Event.
Located on Saudia Arabia’s northwestern Red Sea coast, AMAALA Yacht Club will provide a spectacular new stage for the world’s leading match racers, with pristine waters and reliable trade winds creating exceptional conditions for racing. The Finals mark another milestone in the development of international sailing in the region and forms part of the club’s wider ambition to establish AMAALA and the Red Sea as a leading destination for yachting, combining elite competition with opportunities to grow local participation in the sport.
For the first time, the final of the Women’s World Match Racing Tour, launched in 2022, will be staged back-to-back with the Open World Match Racing Tour Final. Both events will also offer a $200,000 prize purse, with the women’s event representing the largest prize ever offered for an all-female sailing event.
The announcement coincides with the release of the Notices of Race for both events. The 2026 Women’s World Match Racing Tour Final will take place from Monday 2nd to Saturday 7th November, followed by the World Match Racing Tour Final from Monday 9th to Saturday 14th November. The winners of the Finals will be crowned 2026 Match Racing World Champions by World Sailing.
James Pleasance, Executive Director of the World Match Racing Tour, said: “This is a milestone year for the World Match Racing Tour. Not only is it the first time both world match racing tours will be hosted together, but I am particularly proud of our shared vision and achievement with AMAALA in announcing the first-ever 100% equal prize money across the open and women’s world tours.”
Adrian Peet, General Manager of AMAALA Yacht Club, added: “We’re excited to welcome the World Match Racing Tour to Saudi Arabia for the first time this November. Hosting the Finals is an important milestone for AMAALA Yacht Club. Not only does it demonstrate the club’s commitment to the sport, but it is also evidence of our ambition to support the growth of sailing in the region and establish the Red Sea as the leading destination for yachting.
“Bringing the Finals together for the first time makes the occasion even more significant. We look forward to welcoming the world’s best match racers to AMAALA and showcasing everything this extraordinary destination has to offer.”
ABOUT AMAALA YACHT CLUB:
THE PERFECT SYNERGY BETWEEN OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY AND WORLD-CLASS AMENITIES
AMAALA Yacht Club is a private members’ yacht club and yachting centre of excellence located on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, within the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Nature Reserve. Opening early 2026, the Club is being established as a venue dedicated to sailing, superyachts, education, and marine stewardship. AMAALA Yacht Club combines world-class facilities with a carefully curated international yachting calendar, accredited training programmes, and a strong commitment to sustainability and conservation. Designed as a winter home for global yachting, AMAALA Yacht Club offers exceptional sailing conditions, refined shoreside amenities, and an authentic Saudi welcome in a setting defined by natural beauty, cultural heritage, and responsible development, cuisine to suit every palette and an Arabian welcome that is inclusive, diverse and progressive.
For more updates and information on the AMAALA Yacht Club:
Instagram: @amaalayachtclub
Linked In: AMAALA Yacht Club
AMAALA Yacht Club Website
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. See womenswmrt.com
For more updates and information on the Women’s World Match Racing Tour and event documents, visit womenswmrt.com and follow us on social media at Facebook (@womenswmrt), Instagram (@womenswmrt) and X (@womenswmrt)
