2026 Women's International Championship, Day 1 Highlights
It wasn’t a popular decision yesterday evening, as the competitors were preparing for the Opening Reception on the Upper Lawn of Harbour Court. But by 1 p.m. today, as the northerly dwindled to nothing and the sea breeze looked ambivalent at best, the call to move the first start of the 2026 Women’s International Championship presented by State Street Investment Management and SPY up an hour to 10 a.m. proved to be prescient. A one-race day wasn’t on the schedule, but it’s better than a no-race day.
Lisa Ross and Kairos Racing Team had a conservative start toward the committee boat end of the line and then displayed enviable patience in the light and shifty breeze as the fleet split sides, playing the right side into a commanding lead. A double tack just before the windward mark closed the gap to the second, but Ross and her crew still rounded the first mark in first, followed by Ragna Agerup and Team Ursa Minor and Hannah Diamond and the Thames Swans. The two top boats remained consistent through the leeward gate, with Ida Svensson’s crew from the Royal Swedish Yacht Club making a leap from seventh to third on the first run.
The second beat was rife with opportunities, a real chutes and ladders leg. Ross held serve—rounding with a nearly 200-meter lead—Svensson moved to second with Agerup and Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick and Team Vigilant in close pursuit for the podium. That group would be the top four across the finish, but surprisingly, it was Ross who was squeezed out of the podium, victimized by a late windshift as the breeze became even more unstable. Svensson earned the win by less than a boatlength over Agerup. Grapengeter-Rudnick took third with Ross fourth, a result that would be worth celebrating except for the fact that victory was in hand until the final few minutes of the race. Karyn Gojnich and Team Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron rounded out the top five.
The race committee waited for nearly two hours hoping for a breeze to stabilize, but it only got worse and at 1 p.m., with nothing promising in sight, the fleet was sent to the docks to close the first day of racing in the inaugural Women’s International Championship presented by State Street Investment Management and SPY.
From the Sailors:
"I think it's important to keep sort of calm on the boat. The maneuvers take a while, especially in challenging conditions like today. Especially if we're [on Rhode Island Sound], the waves are bigger. Keep cool. I've been on the Ursa Minor team for a couple of years now, and so I'm trying to relay all the knowledge on boat handling and how to keep the speed going even in transition periods, which we did have quite a few of today. ”
-Maia Agerup, Tactician, Team Ragna Agerup and Ursa Minor
“We’re super happy. It was our first time together in the boat this regatta, so we didn’t have high expectations, but we worked a lot on our boat handling. I thought that the loop between Ida and our strategist, Vilma [Bobeck], was amazing to hear on the helm. I think that me and Louisa on the main trim also found a super good speed loop.”
-Johanna Sommarlund, Helmswoman, Team Ida Svensson
“So I have two things that I would love to ask you guys to do. Try to network, be blatant about getting each other’s contact information, so that you can keep in touch because this is a powerful, powerful group. And go forward, find other people, pull them along. Don’t be mean to the men, but go ahead and beat them.”
-Dawn Riley, Sailing Hall of Fame Member and Daily Awards Presenter
“We have been sailing in Newport all season, so we've seen the dying northerly, kind of southerly struggling to fill in. We've seen that a few times this season, so we somewhat knew what to expect, but it's always quite variable out there. The competition here is fierce. We saw that after day one. There are definitely some teams that have spent more time in the boats, but a lot of the international teams that have not had access to the IC37s, they are coming up to speed very quickly. It's very competitive out there, and we're just excited to see how the rest of the week shakes out. This is a very cool opportunity for women’s sailing, 200-plus of the best female sailors in the world. So we're just honored to be here and be a part of it.”
-Fiona Walsh, Crew, Team Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick and Vigilant
Results:
1. Ida Svensson (SWE) (1; 1)
2. Ragna Agerup (NOR) (2; 2)
3. Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick (USA) (3; 3)
4. Lisa Ross (CAN) (4; 4)
5. Karyn Gojnich (AUS) (5; 5)
6. Hannah Diamond (GBR) (6; 6)
7. Laura van Veen (NED) (8*; 8)
8. Michelle Lahrkamp (USA) (8; 8)
9. Lena Weißkichel (GER) (9; 9)
10. Katie Spithill (AUS) (10; 10)
11. Dominique Provoyeur (RSA) (11; 11)
12. Marie Klok Crump (DEN) (12; 12)
13. Nicole Breault (USA) (14*; 14)
14. Hannah Swett (USA) (14; 14)
15. Katrina Williams (BER) (16; 16)
16. Sarah Douglas (CAN) (16*; 16)
17. Christina Wolfe (USA) (17; 17)
18. Eliane Fierro (MEX) (18; 18)
19. Megan Thomson (NZL) (19; 19)
20. Lijia Xu (CHN) (20; 20)
*1-point penalty
What’s Happening Tomorrow:
Day 2 of racing is tomorrow. The forecast calls for a building southwesterly breeze, sunny skies and high temperatures in the low 70s. In other words, a perfect day for sailing in Rhode Island.
The inaugural edition of the New York Yacht Club International Women’s Championship Presented by State Street Investment Management SPY will take place September 12 to 19 at the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court in Newport, R.I. The regatta will utilize the Club's fleet of 20 IC37s. The 37-foot keelboat was designed by Mark Mills to a brief developed by the Club. The IC37 is a powerful, sporty platform that rewards cohesive crew work and athleticism. The Women's International Championship is also supported by founding partner Rolex, regatta sponsor Helly Hansen and official suppliers Tiffany & Co. and Palm Beach Motor Yachts.
Text Credit: NYYC Women's International Championship
Photo Credit: OUTSIDEIMAGES
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