Opening ceremony
The 2026 World Match Racing Tour – Macao Match Cup, organized by the Sports Bureau and Ursa Major Sailing Event Management, co-organized by the Marine and Water Bureau and the Macau Sailing Association, and held in partnership with the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT), takes place for five consecutive days starting today (25 March).
As the opening event of the 2026 WMRT season, the Macao Match Cup is a world championship-tier World Sailing Special Event. 12 elite sailing teams from Australia, Denmark, France, Ireland, New Zealand and the U.S.A. vie for the championship on the waters south of the Macao peninsula, between the Governador Nobre de Carvalho Bridge and the Sai Van Bridge.
Multiple round-robin qualifying races took place on the first day of the competition. The relatively light wind throughout the day posed challenging conditions for the teams to demonstrate their skills. Outstanding performers from the first day included French skipper Ian Garreta (Med Racing) and Swedish skipper Oscar Engström (Team Liros), both with a record of four wins and one loss. Meanwhile, France’s Aurélien Pierroz (Match Again by NET) remained the only undefeated skipper in the competition, with three wins in three races. More round-robin qualifying races will be held on 26 and 27 March, as all teams fight for a spot in the quarter-finals.
The organizers held an opening ceremony before the start of today’s races. Guests in attendance included: Mr. Vong Ka Kun, Head of the Macau Grand Prix and Major Sporting Events Department of the Sports Bureau; Mr. Ma Man Wai, Chairman of Ursa Major Sailing Event Management; Mr. James Pleasance, Executive Director of WMRT; Mr. Lao Se Keng, Head of Maritime Services Division of Marine and Water Bureau; Mr. Li Yue, Vice Chairman of Macau Sailing Association; and Mr. Chris Lee, Executive Chairman of the World Match Racing Tour.
During the event, residents and visitors will be able to enjoy the racing from shoreline viewing areas, while the races will also be broadcast live online. Live streaming will be available on multiple platforms including the “Macao Major Sporting Events” YouTube channel and Facebook page, the event’s official website www.macaomatchcup.com, and the World Match Racing Tour YouTube channel.
For more information, please visit the event’s official website at www.macaomatchcup.com, or follow the “Macao Major Sporting Events” Facebook page, “澳門體育” (Macao Sports) WeChat public account and “澳門特區體育局” (Macao SAR Sports Bureau) WeChat subscription account.
