Bids invited for 2024, 2025 and 2026 Youth and Women’s Match Racing World Championships

The Youth Match Racing World Championship brings together the best youth match racers from around the world acknowledging their skills and offering a pathway to adult match racing competition.

This year’s event will take place in Sydney, Australia, from 9-15 December where 12 teams 10 nations will compete in a five-day event onboard identical Elliott 7m keelboats. Competition takes place over five rounds: a round robin, a repechage, Quarter finals, Semi finals and the Grand final, with a Petit final to determine third and fourth place.

The Women’s Match Racing World Championship is an annual event which was first held in Genoa, Italy in 1999 after a successful event was held as part of the 1998 World Sailing World Championship in Dubai, UAE.

The 2023 Women’s Match Racing World Championship was held in Middelfart, Denmark, from 4-7 July. Eleven teams from around the world raced in Blu26 class Keelboats. The title went to the ever-impressive Pauline Courtois and the Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team for the third consecutive year.

Full details about the bidding process and criteria are available in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 Youth and Women’s Match Racing World Championships Bid Guidelines.

World Sailing recognises that different venues have different needs and facilities and encourages MNAs and Host Cities interested in bidding to contact World Sailing Events Manager, Pedro Rodrigues, to seek clarification on requirements related to the event.

He said, “We are excited to open the bidding process for the next three year cycle of Youth Match Racing and Women’s Match Racing World Championships. Each event offers MNAs the opportunity to host some of the world’s very best sailors in one of World Sailing’s most dynamic Special Event formats. This is a chance for host cities and venues across the globe to be part of a growing legacy and bring one or both prestigious events to their region.”

The Bid Guidelines provide an outline specification of minimum requirements for both the sports competition and the on-shore events and sets out the rights and responsibilities for each party in hosting an event.

All bids must be received by the World Sailing Executive Office by 17:00 UTC on Wednesday 20 December 2023. All bids received will be treated as confidential and the chosen venue will be informed in February 2024.

For further information about the bid guidelines and to submit a bid, please contact bids@sailing.org.