Courtois, Aartsen, Groeneveld advance to Women’s Trophy Semi-Finals

A break in the weather allowed the Nordea Women’s Trophy at GKSS Match Cup Sweden to complete its quarter-final stage today with the top three teams joining Sweden’s Anna Östling (Team WINGS) in the semi-finals. The Open division teams were given a lay day and will resume racing tomorrow.

After a blustery start to the day on Marstrand with +25 knot winds and rain forecast, the skies cleared mid-afternoon for the six quarter-final teams to complete their first-to-two-points matches.

In a repeat of the Open division yesterday, each of the matches were won in straight 2-0 scores with France’s Pauline Courtois (Match in Pink) defeating Celia Willison, NZL (EDGE Racing NZ) Julia Aarsten, NED (Team Out of the Box) defeating Sweden’s Martina Carlsson (Beyond Racing), and Renee Groeneveld, NED (Dutch Match Racing) defeating Denmark’s Kristine Mauritzen (Those Seagulls).

Julia Aartsen’s Team Out of the Box knew they had a crucial day ahead of them to stay in the race to the final but were determined to make it through to the next round in their first visit to Marstrand;

“We’re super happy getting through to the semis” said Aartsen. “It was close racing today and our second race against the Beyond Racing team was intense as we had a big broach in a strong gust – the wind was shifty and was building all afternoon so that was also a challenge. But we are loving it here at Marstrand and we are ready for the next stage!”

The three teams will now join defending Nordea Women’s Trophy champion Anna Östling and Team WINGS in the semi-finals which will plan to start tomorrow subject to the weather forecast.