Competitors

Team WINGS (née Team Anna) has been in and out of the no. 1 spot on the world rankings for women’s match racing for the last 10 years. The team have been sailing together since 2009 and have since reached some dream goals. In 2014, they became Women’s Match Racing World Champions and 2016 they did it all over again and also won their first Women’s International Match Racing Series Championship. The team has since worked hard to develop women’s sailing with introducing catamarans and new arenas to the women’s sailing.

Anna competed in the 2012 London Olympics in the Elliott 6m class and went on to win the Women’s Match Racing World Championships in 2014 and 2016. As skipper of Team WINGS, Östling has consistently ranked among the top in the world, securing major victories like the 2022 Open Grade 1 Oakcliff International. She continues to drive innovation in women’s sailing, including being a part of the Artemis Challenge for the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup.

Currently ranked #2 in the world and the 2023 Santa Maria Cup Champion, Anna is no stranger to the top of the podium.

We’re thrilled to welcome her back to Annapolis this June.

Team Out of the Box is a Dutch female match racing team, bringing together good sailors from a wide range of sailing backgrounds. Their team combines national champions in dinghy racing with experienced offshore sailors, creating a powerful blend of talent, determination, and skills. What truly sets these sailors apart? Their fierce competitiveness on the water, and the fun, friendship, and team spirit they share off the water.

Julia and her team finished second in their Women’s World Match Racing Tour debut season in 2023 and finished just off the podium in 2025 and are looking for their first Tour event win, will it come in Annapolis?

We’re excited to welcome Julia to the Santa Maria Cup lineup!

2.0 Racing, established in 2019, has competed on both the Open and Women’s World Match Racing Tours since 2022. What started as a group of friends sailing together has grown into something much bigger than expected, with several team members now sailing full time over the past few years.

The team comes from a wide range of sailing backgrounds, from dinghies to keelboats to foiling, with each person bringing their own experience into the group. Alongside their racing program, the team is committed to supporting the next group of match racers coming through. They run clinics while on tour, with the aim of creating clearer pathways into the sport. In line with this, in 2026 they have welcomed two new team members who have recently come through the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Youth Training Programme.

We’re excited to welcome Megan back to the Santa Maria Cup lineup!

Beyond Racing Team is a young Swedish female match racing team from Gothenburg, skippered by Martina Carlsson. The sailors grew up racing dinghies together, and against each other, before coming together three years ago to compete internationally as a team. Representing the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club (GKSS), a club that has developed many successful match racing sailors over the years, the team trains and competes with the ambition of continuing that tradition. This season marks Beyond Racing Team’s third year on the Women’s World Match Racing Tour. With a shared ambition, strong team dynamic, and focus on development, the team looks forward to competing in the Santa Maria Cup at Eastport Yacht Club.

We’re excited to welcome Martina Carlsson and her crew from GKSS to the Santa Maria Cup 2026!

Team BAAM is back as defending champions after winning the 2025 Santa Maria Cup. Currently this team of former collegiate sailors is ranked in the top ten in the world in women’s match racing, Allie Blecher and Team BAAM! are also four-time U.S. Women’s Match Racing National Champions, runner up for the New Zealand National Match Race Championships, and will represent the USA in the 2026 Women’s Match Racing World Championship.

The team is ready to be back in Annapolis this year for another great event and defend their title!

Team Something Chill is BACK! The team entered the match racing scene in 2024 at the U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship in Chicago, where they placed 6th. They carried that momentum forward, building a strong foundation as a team of former college sailors driven to continue competing at a high level after graduation.

In 2025, the team joined the Women’s World Match Racing Tour circuit, competing at the Casa Vela Cup in San Francisco and the Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis. They also returned to the U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship in San Francisco, finishing 4th. Their approach balances a competitive edge with a reminder to not take the game too seriously.

The team is excited for the 2026 season and looks forward to getting back on the water in Caroline’s hometown.

Gwynie Dunley grew up sailing dinghies and keel boats on San Francisco Bay. Gwynie competed at the collegiate level for two years at Connecticut College before transferring to Georgetown University in 2018, where she continued to race as both a skipper and crew. After college, opportunities to skipper became limited, but in 2024 she returned to skippering by competing in the U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship. That experience lit her passion for match racing and connected her with an incredible community of talented, driven women. The high level of sportsmanship and shared commitment to growth both on and off the water continues to inspire her to keep signing up for women’s match racing events.

This is Gwynie’s first time participating as a skipper at the Santa Maria Cup. She is a new member of the Eastport Yacht Club and is excited to compete for her home club in its premier event.

Team Magenta is a match racing team set up by double Olympic Medalist Lijia “Lily” Xu from China. Lily’s medals (a bronze and a gold) may have been for singlehanded racing, but she knows how to build a team and she is currently at the beginning stage of building a strong crew list and improving competitiveness with a long range goal on the match racing podium. Joining Lily in Annapolis will be a strong core of experienced local sailors to help her towards their collective goals. Any tips from experienced match racer, and any crew who's interested to join this adventure, let Lily know!

We’re excited to welcome Lily and bring another country into the lineup of the Santa Maria Cup lineup!

Cherry Bomb Racing is a San Francisco Bay team and skipper Katie Cornetta represents Richmond Yacht Club where she has built a strong match racing program with weekly practices and an annual regatta. The team has an impressive resume on a variety of boats from Laser and Snipes up through keelboats and into offshore yacht racing. But it’s their passion for match racing that has brought them together to compete in Annapolis.

This will be Katie’s first time at the Santa Maria Cup and we are happy to be hosting her!

Tara Golonka is a British Columbia, Canada-based sailor competing internationally in the 49erFX, as well as fleet and match racing keelboats. Recent highlights include wins at both the 2024 Canadian Intercollegiate Sailing Association Keelboat Nationals and the 2024 49erFX Canadian Senior Championship.

She is also a member of Cascadia Sailing, a Pacific Northwest women’s team preparing for the inaugural New York Yacht Club International Women’s Championship in fall 2026. With a newly formed team for the Santa Maria Cup, she is looking forward to competing against top international match racing talent.

First time at the SMC, ready to compete, learn, and bring the heat to Annapolis!