Matthew Greenfield Wins Season Opener in Madrid and Qualifies for the Grand Final
2026 European Match Race Tour — Madrid Stop
Matthew Greenfield and his Rumline Racing crew fighting Demetrio Sposato in the final.
SAN MARTÍN DE VALDEIGLESIAS, Madrid (June 11, 2026) – Matthew Greenfield’s Rumline Racing from GBR delivered a masterclass in tactical composure on the waters of the San Juan Reservoir, surviving a high-drama season opener to capture the Madrid title at the 2026 European Match Race Tour (EMRT).
Sailing out of the prestigious Real Club Náutico de Madrid, Greenfield and his crew — Owen Bowerman, Niall Myant Best, and Oliver Bennett — conquered tricky inland conditions to secure an automatic invitation to the EMRT Grand Final in Naples, Italy, later this year. The four-day event, which ran from June 4–7, pitted elite international match racing teams against one another in identical Beneteau 7.5 boats, ensuring a completely level playing field where strategy and raw crew skill were the only variables that mattered.
The final day of racing delivered maximum tension as the fleet entered the knockout phases. Matthew Greenfield and his crew faced off against a young, hungry Italian squad led by Demetrio Sposato in the Grand Final. Meanwhile, the Petit Final saw Julian Fung of the Royal Thames Yacht Club clash with local favorite Jose Cigarran.
Stadium match racing in front of the Real Club Nautico de Madrid.
In the Petit Final, Julian Fung (GBR) and his team put on a dominant display, earning a swift 2-0 victory over Cigarran’s well-prepared local crew to secure third place.
The Grand Final, however, proved to be a much tighter dogfight. Demetrio Sposato drew first blood, capitalizing on the shifting reservoir winds to hand Greenfield a loss in the opening match. Facing elimination in the first-to-two format, Greenfield and his crew showed incredible resilience and tactical agility. Rumline Racing rallied to sweep the next two matches straight, stunning the Italians and securing the EMRT Madrid Stop crown.
Tight tactical duels in light wind conditions.
A huge shoutout goes to the resilient job of the race committee led by international race officer Cesar Sans, who managed to complete the schedule in very light and challenging wind conditions.
The thrilling conclusion in Madrid officially sets the pace for the rest of the 2026 tour, which next heads to the coastal waters of Rhodes, Greece, before moving north to the fjords of Norway.
For more information and fully updated leaderboards, visit www.europeanmatchracetour.com.
2026 EMRT Madrid Stop – Final Standings:
- Matthew Greenfield (GBR) – Rumline Racing
- Demetrio Sposato (ITA) – Scialamento Racing
- Julian Fung (GBR) – Royal Thames YC
- Jose Cigarran (ESP) – Cigarran Sailing Team
- Manos Chatzigiannis (GRE) – Dockers
- Javier Mejias (ESP) – Club Nautico Madrid II
- Armando Sobrado Cors (ESP) – Club Nautico Cervera
- Alfonso Colon de Carbajal (ESP) – Club Nautico Madrid I