WASZP Games
Women’s Sprint Championship and SailGP Qualifier Race
The final day of the WASZP Women’s Sprint Championship delivered a thrilling showdown with five high-octane slalom races, pushing sailors to their limits in fast, tactical conditions. With SailGP WASZP Grand Final 2026 qualification on the line, tension buzzed across the boat park as the top contenders prepared to battle for the podium.
The WASZP Women’s Sprint Championship wrapped up today with five high-octane slalom races, delivering drama, pressure, and precision as the top contenders fought to secure one of two coveted spots at the 2026 SailGP WASZP Grand Final in Sydney.
With only a few points separating the podium positions every gybe, lane choice, and fraction of a second mattered—and the racing was as fierce as it gets.
Race 1 exploded off the start line with the entire fleet charging on the foils. Maja Larsson-Bergqvist (SWE) and Mina Ferguson (AUS) were neck and neck, with Pearl Lattanzi (USA) fast off the opposite end of the line. At the second buoy, Louise Metenier (FRA) and Mina were still locked in a close duel, while Pearl made a clean gybe and surged ahead. Mina rounded the third buoy in the lead, but Pearl accelerated down the final stretch to snatch the win, just ahead of Louise, with Mina close behind in third.
Race 2 saw another stacked front row with Madilyn Anderson (USA), Pia Tveita (NOR), Mina, Louise, and Pearl all gunning for the lead. Louise was untouchable in the opening exchanges, rounding the first buoy ahead of the pack, but Pearl once again found clean lanes and executed smooth manoeuvres to take the win. Louise finished second, and Mina again came in third.
In Race 3, Pia Tveita (NOR) and Louise Metenier (FRA) led the charge to the first buoy, but a slight error from Louise opened the door for Pearl and Mina to pounce. They capitalized perfectly, with Pearl taking the win, Mina in second, and Nora Doksrød (NOR) fighting off Pia Tveita (NOR) to cross in third.
The pace didn’t let up in Race 4, with Susana Ridao (ESP), Julia Gebhard (GER), Louise Metenier (FRA), and Pia Tveita (NOR) all quick off the line. Pearl and Louise matched each other for speed after the first mark, but it was Julia Gebhard who sailed the shortest track, edging into first by just a nose ahead of Mina, with Pearl securing third.
Race 5 brought high drama, with several sailors picking up UFDs and pressure mounting. Pearl, Mina, Pernille Baann Eftang (NOR), and Nora Doksrød led at the start. Finding clear lanes proved critical, and it turned into a two-way duel between Pearl and Mina. In a nail-biting finish, Pearl just nudged ahead to secure her third race win of the day, with Mina in second and Nora in third.
After two intense days of racing, Pearl Lattanzi’s consistency and speed earned her the overall title, with Mina Ferguson taking a hard-fought second. Both sailors secure their place at the SailGP WASZP Grand Final in Sydney in 2026. Marie Butler Wang (NOR), who sailed strongly on day one, held onto third place overall despite a tougher day in the slalom format.
WASZP Women’s Sprint Championship Overall Results: (full results here)
Pearl Lattanzi (USA) – 28 points
Mina Ferguson (AUS) – 38 points
Marie Butler Wang (NOR) – 68 points
Find out more at racehub.waszp.com/eventdetail/360
