The 2026 start list reflects the depth and quality of the global fleet—featuring multiple world-class champions alongside ambitious challengers ready to fight for the top spot.
(World ranking in parentheses)
- Pauline Courtois, France (1) – defending champion and last year’s winner
- Anna Östling, Sweden (2) – representing host club GKSS
- Lea Richter, Denmark (3)
- Julia Aartsen, Netherlands (4)
- Megan Thomson, New Zealand (5)
- Martina Carlsson, Sweden (7) – GKSS
- Julia Dámodio, France (8)
- Lindsey Baab, USA (9)
“We are very proud to welcome several of the world’s top-ranked women match racers. The lineup sets the stage for duels at the highest level,” says Mattias Rahm, Club Director of Gothenburg Royal Yacht Club (GKSS).
For another year, Nordea returns as title sponsor of the event.
The 2026 competition will take place from June 29 to July 4. Both the women’s event, the GKSS Nordea Women’s Trophy, and the open class competition form part of the global World Match Racing Tour.
The broader GKSS Match Cup Sweden has been organized for over 30 years (since 1994) by GKSS and is widely regarded as one of the world’s premier match racing events. The competition features both an open class and a women’s class and stands as a key highlight of the World Match Racing Tour, drawing the world’s elite sailors to Marstrand each year.
What makes the event truly unique is its arena: racing takes place just meters from the shoreline, allowing spectators to get exceptionally close to the action on the water. The event typically attracts around 50,000 visitors annually.
“It’s fantastic that our competition continues to attract the world’s best sailors year after year. At GKSS, we are extremely proud to host an event at the very highest level,” Rahm adds.
