Fremantle field set
Six teams featuring established campaigners and emerging talent will contest the 2026 Australian Women’s Match Racing Championship in Fremantle from 10 to 13 September.
13 August 2026
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The field is set for the 2026 Australian Women’s Match Racing Championship, with six teams confirmed following the close of Requests for Invitation.
Australia’s leading female match racers will converge on Fremantle Sailing Club from 10 to 13 September, competing for the national title in Elliott 7s on the waters off Fremantle.
The fleet brings together established match racers, returning competitors and emerging talent, with Chelsea Williams, Heidi Ferguson, Isabella Holdsworth, Kirstin Norris, Mia Lovelady and Sophie Jackson confirmed as skippers.
Williams, representing the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, is ranked 23rd in the world and will step up to helm her own team after competing as crew at last year’s championship. Her recent results include victories at the John Messenger Women’s Match Racing Regatta and Youth Match Racing World Championship.
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Fellow CYCA sailor Ferguson is currently ranked 27th in the World Sailing Women’s Match Racing Rankings. She returns after skippering her team to third place at the 2025 Australian Women’s Match Racing Championship.
Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club’s Holdsworth, ranked 41st in the world, has built her match racing experience across a number of New South Wales events and was selected to compete at both the 2025 and 2026 Youth Match Racing World Championships.
Western Australian skipper Norris, representing South of Perth Yacht Club, is ranked 49th and returns after finishing fourth at last year’s national championship.
Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club’s Lovelady, ranked 65th, will also return after placing fifth in 2025. The young Western Australian has competed at events including the Hardy Cup, JESS Match Cup, Warren Jones International Youth Match Racing Regatta and HARKEN International Youth Match Racing Regatta.
Completing the field is Fremantle Sailing Club’s Jackson, who returns to home waters after being part of Nia Jerwood’s championship-winning Fremantle crew in 2025. Jackson is also a 470 national champion and is training towards qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Racing will take place off Fremantle across three days, with the format expected to deliver the close, tactical racing characteristic of the match racing discipline. Spectators will be able to follow the action from Fremantle Sailing Club and the surrounding foreshore.
The Australian Women’s Match Racing Championship is hosted by Fremantle Sailing Club with support from the City of Fremantle.
Event details
2026 Australian Women’s Match Racing Championship
Dates: 10 to 13 September 2026
Venue: Fremantle Sailing Club, Western Australia
Class: Elliott 7
Fleet: Six teams
Skippers: Chelsea Williams, Heidi Ferguson, Isabella Holdsworth, Kirstin Norris, Mia Lovelady and Sophie Jackson
Host: Fremantle Sailing Club
Support: City of Fremantle
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