St Francis Yacht Club will host the 2026 World Sailing Women’s Match Racing World Championship on San Francisco Bay from 30 September to 4 October, World Sailing has confirmed.
The club has built a strong record in high-level women’s sailing events, having previously hosted 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.
“For several years running our club has been committed to hosting and fostering high-level competitions for female sailors,” said club commodore Susan Ruhne. “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. “We are not just crowning a world champion. 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 will return to protect a remarkable five-year winning streak. 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 aboard the club’s fleet of J/22s, with crews of four or five. A practice day runs on 30 September, followed by four days of racing, with finals and prize-giving on 4 October.
