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Nineteen wins in twenty matches, two French crews in the final four, and a 3-0 victory in the final: the World Championships in San Francisco confirmed the dominance of Pauline Courtois and Match in Pink. Behind the score, however, lies a final that was more closely contested than it appears, against Nicole Breault, who was competing on her home waters.
Six Consecutive World Titles for Pauline Courtois
The series begins in Cherbourg in 2021. It continues in Auckland in 2022, Middelfart in 2023, Jeddah in 2024, and then Chicago in 2025. San Francisco now adds a sixth consecutive title to Pauline Courtois? record?a feat unmatched since the Women?s World Championship was founded in 1998. However, the Frenchwoman had gone two tournaments without a title just before this series, losing in the final to Britain?s Lucy Macgregor in 2018 and finishing third in 2019.
Since then, her crew has held onto first place. In San Francisco, Pauline Courtois was joined by Maëlenn Lemaitre, Louise Acker, and Laurane Mettraux. The four crew members won 19 of the 20 matches they played. This consistency is reminiscent of their 2024 World Championship in Jeddah, which they completed without a single loss in 21 matches. With this new title, Courtois also continues a French tradition in the sport, following notably the two world titles won by Claire Leroy in 2007 and 2008. Courtois?s previous title, won in Chicago in 2025, was already her fifth in a row.
A San Francisco bay that wasn't easily tamed
The final score tells only part of the story of the week. The twelve competing crews had to contend with a race course known for its currents and shifting winds. After a first day of racing in winds of around 20 knots, the competitors also experienced much calmer mornings, to the point that starts were delayed on three out of four days. The J/22 format put the crews on equal footing and restored the importance of tactical duels: pre-start maneuvers, positioning relative to the opponent, choice of tacks, and the quality of maneuvers. After the qualifying rounds and quarterfinals, Courtois faced another French crew in the semifinals: the L4C Racing Team, consisting of Lucie Gout, Flavie Foucher, Clarisse Baissac, and Lomane Valade.
Match in Pink prevailed and joined Nicole Breault in the final, while Lucie Gout finished fourth after losing to Julia Aartsen of the Netherlands in the third-place match. The presence of two French crews among the four semifinalists also offers another perspective on this World Championship: beyond Courtois?s exceptional run, French women?s match racing continues to have depth. The FFVoile had, in fact, entered three French crews among the twelve participants in San Francisco.
A 3-0 victory in the final that masks some close matches
Against Nicole Breault and Vela Racing, the Americans had home-field advantage. But the outcome was clearly in France?s favor. Match in Pink won all three races in the final, taking the series 3-0. But Pauline Courtois herself emphasizes how misleading this score is: the races were much closer than the raw score suggests. The French sailor particularly highlights her crew?s ability to maintain the J/22?s speed, as well as their teamwork and the efforts of her coaches, Mathieu Richard and Cédric Château.
For her part, Nicole Breault acknowledges the consistency of a crew that continues to fight until the very end of every match. Courtois, Lemaitre, Acker, and Mettraux thus leave San Francisco with the Françoise Pascal Memorial Trophy and a streak of six consecutive World Championships. Julia Aartsen rounded out the podium ahead of Lucie Gout. The next World Championship is scheduled for Auckland, November 22?26, 2027: Match in Pink will arrive there facing a situation that has become unusual in elite sports. For the past six editions, all competitors have known exactly which crew they must beat.
