(San Francisco, CA – May 30, 2025) – Defending women’s match racing world champion Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink Normandy Elite team from France will meet USA’s Nicole Breault/ Vela Racing in the final of the 2025 Casa Vela Cup in San Francisco, the opening stage of the 2025 Women’s World Match Racing Tour.
Both teams secured their spots in tomorrow’s event final after two hard-fought semi-final matches against their respective opponents, Julia Aartsen/ Team out of the Box from the Netherlands, and Sweden’s Anna Östling/ Team Wings.
In the first semi-final pairing between Courtois and Aartsen in the first-to-three point match, it was Aartsen and crew that managed to break Courtois’s undefeated race wins in the event by securing the first race. But Courtois and the Match in Pink team proved too much of a match for Aartsen as the French team skilfully defended their positions at the starts and in the numerous upwind tacking duels to win the next three races straight and, advance to the final with a 3-1 defeat over their Dutch opponents.
It was a day of redemption in the second semi-final match between local San Francisco sailor Nicole Breault/ Vela Racing and Sweden’s Anna Östling/ Team Wings. The two skippers met in the semi-finals of the same event in 2023 where Östling and crew defeated Breault 3-2 in a five-race semi-final match. Today, however, the shoe was on the other foot as the 2-2 match went to a deciding race for the spot in the final. Breault led Östling around the first mark and as Östling hoisted their spinnaker to give chase, the spinnaker halyard slipped allowing Breault to stretch a lead. Despite a late downwind broach by Breault on the final leg, the USA team was able to maintain the lead over the line and bank a 3-2 result to advance to the final.Östling and Aartsen will now meet in the petit-final to decide the 3rd podium position. The remaining six teams completed their sail off matches this afternoon with USA’s Allie Blecher/ Team Baam finishing fifth, and Lindsey Baab in sixth place.
The final day of the Casa Vela Cup starts tomorrow at the later time of 1130 local time with race viewing and commentary from the terrace of the St Francis Yacht Club. It is the second time the St Francis Yacht Club has played host to the opening stage of the Women’s World Match Racing Tour, managed by Race Director Felix Weidling.
“I’m delighted that at this high-level and internationally competitive event, all four represented nations – France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the USA – made it into the top 4 today” commented Weidling. “This is not only a testament to the exceptionally high level of athletic performance, but also a reflection of the international strength, diversity, and unity in women’s sailing. Results like these show how much the sport thrives on global exchange, mutual respect, and sporting excellence – all of the teams’ passion, skill, and team spirit have made this regatta an unforgettable experience.”
The winner of tomorrow’s 2025 Casa Vela Cup will also win a week’s stay for the whole team and guests at ‘Casa Vela’ a hand built 450 m2 (5000 sq ft) four bedroom treehouse on the beach near Playa del Carmen, Mexico www.casavelaplayadelcarmen.com
Follow live results at www.matchracingresults.com
For more information on the Women’s World Match Racing Tour, visit Casa Vela Cup 2025
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