Egnot-Johnson and Borch fight through to WMRT quarterfinals

Shenzhen, China (8 January, 2026) — The knockout stage of the 2025 World Match Racing Tour Final is set after a high-pressure day of repechage racing in the heart of Shenzhen, where survival was the only objective and mistakes proved costly.

In ultra-light, shifting winds on OH Bay, New Zealand’s Nick Egnot-Johnson / Knots Racing and Denmark’s Jeppe Borch / Borch Match Race rose above the chaos, delivering decisive performances to claim the final two places in the quarterfinals. Their success completes the eight-team lineup now advancing into the business end of the WMRT Final event for the Match Racing World Championship.

For Egnot-Johnson and his Kiwi crew, Day Three was about redemption. After finishing fifth in their opening qualifying group, there was no margin for error in the repechage — and they responded emphatically. Knots Racing powered through all seven of their matches unbeaten, producing the only perfect score of the stage and sending a clear warning to the rest of the fleet.

Borch and his Danish team matched that intensity, posting six wins from seven starts. Their only defeat came at the hands of Egnot-Johnson, but consistency across the day proved enough to secure their quarterfinal berth.

“Now the regatta really starts,” said Egnot-Johnson. “I feel we’ve actually had the best training for the quarterfinals — many teams had the day off while we had seven tough races. Last year all the teams in the semifinals came from the repechage, so hopefully the stats will be in our favour this year.”

Racing conditions tested both sailors and race management. A super-light and unpredictable breeze forced Principal Race Officer Becky Ashburn to pause proceedings midway through the day to reset the course, before competition resumed under mounting pressure.

After three flights, Egnot-Johnson and Borch had separated themselves from the field, both remaining unbeaten. In Flight 4, Borch faced Swedish match racing legend Björn Hansen in an all-Scandinavian clash, extending his winning streak to four. Egnot-Johnson kept pace by defeating Switzerland’s Eric Monnin, leaving the two leaders tied and flawless through five flights.

The day’s defining moment came in Flight 6, when the two front-runners met head-to-head with a guaranteed quarterfinal slot on the line. A tense pre-start ended with Borch penalised following contact, handing the early advantage to the Kiwi crew. The Danish team clawed their way back after catching a favourable wind shift and clearing the penalty at the leeward gate, setting up a fierce downwind duel. But disaster struck when Borch’s spinnaker jammed, allowing Egnot-Johnson to break free and secure a crucial sixth consecutive win.

That result left Borch under maximum pressure heading into the final flight. In a must-win match against Attili, the Danes once again picked up a penalty — but this time held their nerve. Sailing away in the dying breeze, Borch claimed the victory and the vital sixth point needed to advance.

Heartbreak followed for France’s Pauline Courtois and the Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team. The reigning 2025 Women’s Match Racing World Champions narrowly missed qualification despite a strong 5–2 repechage record. Victory in Shenzhen would have made them the first team in history to win both the Open and Women’s Match Racing World Championships in the same year.

Racing resumes on Friday 9 January, as the quarterfinal knockout stage begins. Only four teams will survive to reach the semi-finals — and the fight for the World Championship is now fully underway.