Pauline Courtois stood unbeaten on the Marstrand podium once again. The French skipper and her Match in Pink crew have made defending a title look deceptively simple, holding off Sweden’s Martina Carlsson 3-1 in Saturday’s Nordea Women’s Trophy final in a gusty 16-knot westerly that occasionally pushed toward 25 knots.
Courtois becomes the first skipper in recent memory to win back-to-back titles at this regatta, cementing Match in Pink’s standing among the world’s best match racing teams. The crew of Maëlenn Lemaitre, Laurane Mettraux and Théa Khelif executed their racing with the kind of precision that separates champions from competitors on the water.
Carlsson and Beyond Racing arrived at the final as the form team. The Swedish skipper had charged through the round robin and semifinals without defeat, stringing together nine consecutive race wins. That momentum counted for little once racing began. Courtois’ composure and tactical sharpness in the stiffening breeze proved too much to overcome. A home victory, which would have been sweet for the local crowd gathered on the Marstrand hillside, slipped away as the final progressed.
Earlier that day, Anna Östling and WINGS Sailing secured third place, finishing ahead of Denmark’s Lea Richter Vogelius and WOW Racing with two straight wins.
In the open division, American Chris Poole reminded everyone why he won this event in 2024. Riptide Racing, crewed by Adam Minoprio, Mal Parker and Luke Payne, came through the knock-out rounds with clear intent and beat Sweden’s Oscar Engström 3-1 in the championship match.
Engström’s run to the final gave Swedish fans plenty to cheer about during the week. The local skipper topped the round robin standings and earned a direct passage to the semis, then dispatched fellow Swede Johnie Berntsson to reach his first Match Cup Sweden final. Runner-up finishes can sting, but Engström’s second place stands as his best career result at Marstrand.
Poole’s path to the title required sharper work. He eliminated defending champion Jeppe Borch in the quarters, then beat France’s Ange Delerce, the breakout skippers of the week, before facing the hometown favourite in the final. Berntsson finished third after beating Delerce 2-0 in the petit final.
Six days of racing wrapped up on those Marstrand waters with the kind of competition that keeps match racing fans riveted. One-on-one duels between identical boats leave nowhere to hide. Crew work separates winners, tactics decide the day, and sailors like Courtois and Poole know exactly how to read the conditions and their opponents when it matters most.
