Please select your home edition
Edition
Palm Beach Motor Yachts

Women's World Match Racing Tour Event 2 - 2025 Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, USA - Overall

by Women's WMRT 8 Jun 05:28 UTC June 4-7, 2025
2025 Santa Maria Cup Champions Allie Blecher, Ali Blumenthal Stokes, Beka Schiff and Rose Edwards © Ted Morgan

USA's women's match racing team Team Baam skippered by Allie Blecher from California (crew Beka Schiff, Rose Edwards, and Ali Blumenthal Stokes) won the 2025 Santa Maria Cup today, defeating Vela Racing team skippered by Nicole Breault (crew Evan Brown Cahill, McKenzie Wilson, Julie Mitchell) 3-0 in a tense light-air final on the Severn River.

The Santa Maria Cup is one of the longest running women's match racing regattas in the USA for over 20 years, hosted by the Eastport Yacht Club and an official event of the Women's World Match Racing Tour since 2022.

As forecast earlier in the week, there was a long wait for the breeze to arrive before the petit-final and final matches were able to take place. As the sea breeze arrived early in the afternoon, the final four matches headed to the racecourse in front of the famous U.S Naval Academy.

Defending Santa Maria Cup champions, Team Wings from Sweden skippered by Anna Östling, were keen to make amends in their petit-final match against Australian Easy Tiger Racing skippered by Juliet Costanzo. Östling and crew had a disappointing day yesterday as they were narrowly beaten by Allie Blecher and Team Baam USA in the semi-finals to miss their chance at defending their title. The Swedish team defeated the Australians 2-0 in the first-to-two points semis to secure the last podium place.

Sadly, it was also a disappointing day for Nicole Breault and the Vela Racing team in the final. Despite the challenging light-air conditions, their opponents Team Baam USA were able to find the extra boat speed to defeat Breault in three straight wins and take the Santa Maria Cup title.

"We are delighted with the win today!" said Team Baam USA's skipper Allie Blecher. "It was super light and very stressful in each match, but I am fortunate to have a team to keep me calm and collected, and we were just able to keep our bow down and stay ahead in each race."

"The better team won today" added Breault. "The conditions were very tricky and although we were keeping close, Allie and her team were just able to extend where it mattered, congratulations to them!"

Pictured from left to right (back row) Principal Race officer Sandy Grosvenor, Sweden's Team Wings Linnea Wennergen, Anna Östling, Svea Sahlin, Annika Carlunger, Vela Racing's Nicole Breault, Mckenzie Wilson, Evan Brown Cahill, Julie Mitchell, Bob Schabel Commdore of Eastport Yacht Club (front row Team Baam USA's Beka Schiff, Allie Blecher, Ali Blumenthal Stokes and Rose Edwards)

The 2025 Santa Maria Cup marks the second stage of the 2025 Women's World Match Racing Tour with Nicole Breault and Vela Racing topping the leaderboard with a combined 22 points including their second-place finish at the opening event in San Francisco last week. Blecher and Sweden's Anna Östling move to second and third on the leaderboard which will count the top three results of the five-event tour concluding in Bermuda in late October.

"It has been a very exciting start to the 2025 women's world tour with these two back-to-back US events" added Women's Tour Executive Director James Pleasance. "San Francisco and Annapolis are both ideal match racing venues and it has been great to have over fifty female athletes compete across both events. We are now looking forward to the third stage of the tour in Marstrand Sweden at the end of this month."

2025 Santa Maria Cup Overall Results:

1. Allie Blecher, Beka Schiff, Rose Edwards, Ali Blumenthal Stokes
2. Nicole Breault, Evan Brown Cahill, McKenzie Wilson, Julie Mitchell
3. Anna Östling, Linnéa Wennergren, Annika Carlunger, Svea Sahlin
4. Juliet Costanzo, Sarah Parker, Clare Costanzo, Rachel Bower
5. Lindsey Baab, Kate Shiber, Ayaka Okawa, Abigayle Konys Moreno
6. Bridget Groble, Morgan Collins, Marley Mais, Madison Bashaw
7. Caroline Bayless, Emma Montgomery, Noelle Owen, Savannah Young
8. Ella Willcox, Gwynie Dunleavy, Miia Newman, Sydney Monahan

For full results, see www.matchracingresults.com

For more information on the Women's World Match Racing Tour, visit womenswmrt.com.

Related Articles

Marine Auctions: June online auctions
Bidding to open on Friday 20th June The Bidding for the June Online Auction will commence on Thursday 20th June and will end on Thursday 26th June at 2pm AEST. Posted on 7 Jun
Bulwarks and Bulldust – watch Episode Five
Episode Five - Shane Subichin, The Boat Works - is now up and running Watch along as we speak with Shane Subichin, GM at The Boat Works about his life from tinnies on Sydney Harbour to leading the team at the premier refit and maintenance yard on the Gold Coast. Posted on 6 Jun
New Formula 360 Crossover Bowrider
An exciting new generation of Formula dayboats has arrived An exciting new generation of Formula dayboats has arrived with the upcoming debut of the all-new Formula 360 Crossover Bowrider. Posted on 5 Jun
Michael Rybovich & Sons construction updates
Progress on hulls from 84', 62' down to 42' New construction updates of 70' S/F Hull # 9, 42' S/F hull #10, 75' S/F hull #11, 84' S/F - Hull # 12. Posted on 5 Jun
A very clear video for overhead casting
Stop fly casting 10-2 and start using this method for longer casts Lyall and Nathan have spoken to me often of how to advance beyond the clock face 10-2 using the terms translation before rotation. Posted on 4 Jun
Valhalla 55 Sport Yacht - Ready to ride
Making her highly anticipated debut in Atlantic City The Valhalla 55 Sport Yacht makes her highly anticipated debut in Atlantic City, New Jersey – and it's more than a new model. Posted on 4 Jun
NOAA reduces Atlantic bluefin tuna retention limit
The adjusted limits will take effect June 3, 2025 and extend through December 31, 2025 On May 29, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced adjustments to the Atlantic bluefin tuna daily retention limits for recreational anglers. Posted on 3 Jun
Delegation urges state control of red snapper
Expressing "strong support for a state-led framework to ensure science-based stewardship" South Carolina's congressional delegation, led by Congressman Russell Fry and joined by U.S. Senators, formally urged U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to transfer management of the South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery to the states. Posted on 2 Jun
Bayliss Boatworks new construction updates
Big Deal's final touches are coming together beautifully Gearing up for her christening later this month, Big Deal's final touches are coming together beautifully. Posted on 2 Jun
Bulwarks and Bulldust – watch Episode Four
Episode Four - Mark Elkington, The Yacht Sales Co. - is now up and running Watch along as we speak with Mark Elkington from The Yacht Sales Co. about his transition from a West Australian crayfisherman to a global sales and support organisation par excellence. Posted on 30 May
Maritimo 2023 S600 FOOTERPalm Beach Motor Yachts