- – 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.”
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Cover photo: AMAALA Yacht Club
For additional information about the events, please visit: https://wmrt.com/ or contact:
- Media Office at World Match Racing Tour: media@wmrt.com
- Hannah Jackson, Marketing at AMAALA Yacht Club: hannah@influencesports.com
ABOUT AMAALA YACHT CLUB:
AMAALA Yacht Club is a new international hub for luxury yachting within AMAALA, the ultra-luxury wellness destination in the protected Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve. Combining world-class marina infrastructure, contemporary design and exceptional hospitality, AMAALA Yacht Club serves as a gateway to the Red Sea, one of the world’s most unexplored cruising grounds. The 119-berth marina is set to open in Autumn 2026. It accommodates superyachts of more than 100 metres and offers a full international port of entry. Situated approximately 200 nautical miles south of the Suez Canal, AMAALA Yacht Club is ideally positioned for vessels looking to explore waters beyond the Mediterranean and Caribbean, while also providing an attractive winter base for both private and charter yachts.
Designed by internationally renowned architects HKS, the 7,900-square-metre clubhouse brings together elegant dining venues, private lounges, a pool deck and year-round programme of sailing and social events. AMAALA Yacht Club is also home to the AYC Academy, which delivers an RYA-certified sailing programme for all ages and abilities, helping to inspire the next generation of sailors and establish the Red Sea as an emerging centre for sailing excellence. AMAALA Yacht Club will host major international sailing events, including The Ocean Race in 2027, cementing its position as a new global hub for yachting and sailing in the Red Sea.
ABOUT WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR:
Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The WMRT is awarded ‘Special Event’ status by the sport’s world governing body – World Sailing – and the winner of the WMRT each year is crowned World Sailing Match Racing World Champion. Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD24million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors. www.wmrt.com
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