Aartsen and Courtois lead debut Bermuda Women's Match Race into quarter finals

by Women's WMRT 31 Oct 14:33 UTC 28 October - 3 November 2024

Close action in the IOD fleet during the round robin stage © Ian Roman / WMRT

The Netherlands' Julia Aartsen and France's Pauline Courtois completed the round robin stage of the inaugural Aspen Bermuda Women's Match Racing Regatta yesterday in a joint lead, each with six wins and one loss.

The two skippers lead the eight all-female teams into today's quarter finals stage. The Aspen Bermuda Women's Match Racing Regatta is the final stage of the 2024 Women's World Match Racing Tour championship season which will award the 2024 women's tour champion this weekend.

The Netherlands helmswoman pipped Pauline Courtois for the top spot in the round robin on a tie-break after beating her French rival in a head-to head meeting between the pair.

The skippers line-up for the Aspen Bermuda Women's Match Race Regatta. (L to R) Juliet Costanzo (AUS), Kristine Mauritzen (DEN), Sophie Otter (GBR), Megan Thomson (NZL), Julia Aartsen (NED), Anna Östling (SWE), Pauline Courtois (FRA), Lea Vogelius (DEN) - photo © Ian Roman / WMRT

"We finished top together with the French team but we won the race from her and that's better than expected because we knew it was going to be tight racing this event," Aartsen told Bermuda's The Royal Gazette in an interview.

Aartsen and her 'Team Out of the Box' crew are visiting Bermuda for the first time from Amsterdam as well as their first time sailing the IOD (International One Design) which she admits has been a challenge to master with the little training time they have had in Bermuda.

Aspen Bermuda Women's Match Racing Regatta - photo © Ian Roman / WMRT

"We don't have IOD's in the Netherlands, but we were able to do some pre-training for the event at home in a Dragon" said Aartsen. "However, the IOD's are so unique, it has also been like learning all new skills. It has been a big learning curve particularly in the windy conditions on the opening day, but yesterday went much better - we had control, good speed and that's why we managed to get all our wins."

Courtois was also pleased with her form heading into the business end of the regatta;

"We won four matches for the qualification so now we are ready for the quarter final. We are pleased with the way things are going sofar. Nothing like these boats exists in France, so it is always a challenge, but we enjoy it. The wind is tricky, but we are getting used to the conditions"

Lea Vogelius (DEN), Team Katnakken DK - photo © Ian Roman / WMRT

The Aspen Bermuda Women's Match Racing Regatta is the first all-female match racing event to be staged in Bermuda as an official stage of the Women's World Match Racing Tour, founded in 2013 as the WIM Series and re-launched in 2022 as the world's only all-female global series in sailing.

The 2024 Aspen Bermuda Women's Match Racing Regatta is the final event of the 2024 women's world tour and both Aartsen and Courtois, as well as New Zealand's Megan Thomson remain in contention to win the overall series this weekend. Defending Tour champion Anna Östling from Sweden and her Team WiNGS are competing in Bermuda but will be unable to win the overall tour championship due to the team's commitments at the Women's America's Cup during the summer.