MARSTRAND, Sweden (3 July 2026) – The island of Marstrand is set for a thrilling Championship Saturday at the 2026 GKSS Match Cup Sweden and Nordea Women’s Trophy final, with hometown star Oscar Engström/ Team Liros and American match racing ace Chris Poole/ Riptide Racing advancing to the Open Match Cup final. Sweden’s Martina Carlsson/ Beyond Racing is also chasing her first women’s world tour title in the Nordea Women’s Trophy against defending champion Pauline Courtois and the Match in Pink from Normandy, France.
With fresh north-westerly winds gusting above 20 knots testing crews throughout the day, the quarterfinals and semifinals delivered dramatic comebacks, major upsets and world-class match racing, leaving just four teams standing in the battle for two prestigious titles at this week’s GKSS Match Cup Sweden hosted by the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club, and an official stage of the World Match Racing Tour.
Engström Keeps Home Hopes Alive
After earning a direct berth to the semifinals by topping the round robin stage with a 6-3 record, Engström watched the morning’s quarterfinals unfold before launching his own bid for the title.
The biggest surprise of the day came from France’s Ange Delerce, competing in his first World Match Racing Tour championship event whose remarkable debut appearance in continued with a stunning 3-1 upset victory over seven-time Match Cup Sweden champion Björn Hansen and the Hansen Sailing Team.
Local favourite Johnie Berntsson delighted the home crowd in a gripping five-race battle, edging Australia’s Cole Tapper and Kairos Racing 3-2 to reach the semifinals. Meanwhile, 2024 Match Cup Sweden champion Chris Poole and Riptide Racing survived an equally dramatic contest, defeating defending champion Jeppe Borch of Denmark 3-2 to end Borch’s title defence.
In the semifinals, Engström produced one of his strongest performances of the regatta, defeating fellow Swede Berntsson 2-0 to secure his place in the championship match.
Poole, chasing his second Match Cup Sweden title in three years, was pushed all the way by the fearless Delerce before prevailing 2-1 in their hard-fought semifinal match.
Although his challenge ended just short of the final, Delerce leaves Marstrand having announced himself as one of the World Match Racing Tour’s brightest emerging talents. The French skipper qualified fifth from the round robin before eliminating one of the event’s greatest champions to reach the final four in his first appearance.
Carlsson’s Perfect Run Continues
The Nordea Women’s Trophy will also feature a tense final, with Sweden’s Martina Carlsson taking on defending champion and reigning women’s match racing world champion Pauline Courtois of France with her Match in Pink team from Normandy.
Carlsson and her Beyond Racing crew have been the standout performers of the week, extending their unbeaten record to nine consecutive race wins with a 2-0 semifinal victory over Denmark’s Lea Richter Vogelius and WOW Racing.
Courtois continued her own impressive title defence by defeating former champion Anna Östling and WINGS Sailing 2-0, preventing an all-Swedish final and keeping the French skipper firmly on course for back-to-back Nordea Women’s Trophy victories.
Earlier in the day, Östling advanced by defeating American newcomers Caroline Bayless and Team Something Chill 3-1, Courtois swept fellow French skipper Julia D’Amodio and Shark Caviar Racing 3-0, while Richter Vogelius booked her semifinal place with a 3-1 victory over the Netherlands’ Julia Aartsen and Team Out of the Box.
Championship Saturday Awaits
With both championship matchups now confirmed, anticipation is building for a spectacular finale.
Can Engström complete a dream week in front of his home supporters and capture the biggest title of his career? Or will Poole add another Match Cup Sweden crown to his growing list of international victories?
In the women’s competition, Carlsson’s flawless campaign will be put to its toughest test against the defending champion as Courtois looks to retain the Nordea Women’s Trophy
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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
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