Three days of close, tactical racing came to a conclusion at Fremantle Sailing Club on Sunday, wrapping up the 2026 Australian Women’s Match Racing Championship and another strong showcase of women’s sailing on the waters off Fremantle.
Six teams from Western Australia and New South Wales contested the national title in Elliott 7s, with three round robins determining the top four teams to advance to Sunday’s semi-finals and finals. The Championship was hosted by Fremantle Sailing Club in conjunction with Australian Sailing.
Conditions varied across the three days, testing teams in everything from light northerlies and flat water on Friday to a south-westerly on Saturday, followed by another light and challenging day for Sunday’s Finals Series.
The opening day set the tone for a closely fought Championship. After two round robins, Mia Lovelady (Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club) and Chelsea Williams (Cruising Yacht Club of Australia) were tied at the top of the standings with seven wins each, with Isabella Holdsworth (Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club) close behind on six.
Tight mark roundings, lead changes and penalties featured throughout the round robin series, with little separating the leading teams.
Saturday saw the third round robin completed, with Williams and Lovelady again finishing level at the top of the standings on 10 wins apiece. Williams held the tie-break after winning two of their three head-to-head matches, while Holdsworth finished third and Fremantle Sailing Club’s Sophie Jackson moved into fourth to secure the final place in the knockout stage.
As the top-ranked skipper, Williams selected Jackson as her semi-final opponent, leaving Lovelady to face Holdsworth in the second semi-final.
Sunday’s Finals Series delivered another competitive day on the water. Williams defeated Jackson 3–1 to progress to the Championship Final, while Lovelady also secured a 3–1 victory over Holdsworth.
That set up a final between the two teams that had been closely matched at the top of the standings throughout the Championship.
Williams and her Cruising Yacht Club of Australia team of Maddy McLeay, Paige Caldecott, Clare Cini and Ali Braden produced a strong final series, defeating Lovelady 3–0 to claim the 2026 Australian Women’s Match Racing Championship title.
In the Petit Final, Holdsworth and Jackson battled through three matches, with Holdsworth taking the series 2–1 to secure third place. Heidi Ferguson (CYCA) defeated Kirstin Norris (South of Perth Yacht Club) 2–0 in the fifth and sixth place sail-off.
The Championship brought together a competitive mix of established and emerging match racers from across Australia, continuing to provide an important national platform for women to compete in high-level match racing.
Principal Race Officer Rob Hubbard, together with Race Committee members Carolyne Bush and Amanda Casebier, umpires and on-water support teams, managed three days of racing across changing conditions.
Fremantle Sailing Club also acknowledged the many volunteers, officials and Club staff who contributed throughout the Championship, both on and off the water, helping to deliver another successful national event in Fremantle.
The 2026 Australian Women’s Match Racing Championship was supported by the City of Fremantle, continuing its support of the Championship across the 2025 and 2026 editions. Mayor Ben Lawver joined the Club for Sunday’s prize giving, celebrating the Championship alongside competitors, officials, volunteers and supporters.
Fremantle Sailing Club also thanked Di Latte Estate and North Sails for their support of the 2026 Championship, alongside Australian Sailing and its SheSails initiative.
Full Championship results and race details are available at:
https://fremantlesailingclub.com.au/awmatchracing2026/
Final Results
1st – Chelsea Williams | Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
Maddy McLeay, Paige Caldecott, Clare Cini, Ali Braden
2nd – Mia Lovelady | Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club
Rosie Rowell, Ethany Bates, Klara Travlos, Greta Carroll
3rd – Isabella Holdsworth | Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club
Annabelle Sampson, Victoria Lin, Isabella Primrose, Hayley Fisher
4th – Sophie Jackson | Fremantle Sailing Club
Georgia Payne, Ona Rafart, Jacqueline Harding/Caitlin Shaw, Fallon Katz
5th – Heidi Ferguson | Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
Charlotte Toll, Kelly Su, Isabella Armistead, Lucia Urgel
6th – Kirstin Norris | South of Perth Yacht Club
Sonja Vlaar, Annika Pennifold, Mara Lowr
#MatchRacing #WomensSailing #FremantleSailing #SailingChampionship
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