Caroline Bayless and Team Something Chill Take on the World—and Climbs the Rankings

With support from the Annapolis Yacht Club Foundation, Team Something Chill traveled to Marstrand, Sweden, from June 29 through July 4 to compete in the GKSS Nordea Women’s World Tour Match Race—one of the premier events on the Women’s World Match Racing Tour.

Entering the regatta ranked 14th in the world, Team Something Chill embraced its underdog status against a formidable international field of higher-ranked competitors.

The all-Brown University alumnae lineup featured Caroline Bayless ’23 as skipper, Nora Ong ’23 on jib trim, Katherine McNamara ’26 on main trim and kite, Emily Mueller ’25 in the pit, and Caroline Keeffe-Jones ’26 on bow.

The team competed aboard FarEast 28Rs in conditions ranging from heavy wind to extremely light air. Although it was their first time racing the FarEast 28R competitively, the sailors adapted quickly and proved especially strong in lighter conditions.

During the round robin, Team Something Chill led in four races before late boat-handling errors and a mechanical breakdown shifted the results. Even with those setbacks, the team advanced to the quarterfinals, where they secured a race victory against Team Wings. They ultimately finished seventh overall, gaining four invaluable days of racing against some of the world’s best match racers.

The experience in Sweden sharpened the team’s racing instincts and highlighted an important opportunity for future growth: gaining more boat-specific practice before major events. Team Something Chill is already applying those lessons as it prepares for the Women’s U.S. Match Race Nationals in Detroit this September.

The team’s progress is already showing: following the Women’s World Match Racing Tour event in Annapolis, Team Something Chill climbed from 14th to 11th in the world rankings.

The Annapolis Yacht Club Foundation’s generosity gives talented sailors, such as Caroline Bayless, the opportunity to compete internationally, master new boats, and grow alongside the world’s best. Every event builds their confidence, experience, and momentum—and brings them closer to the top of the sport.