A fleet of 141 sailors from around the world took to Dublin Bay for the opening day of the six-day regatta, the first World Championships for an Olympic sailing class to be staged in Ireland in over 25 years.

The sailors were met by a light easterly breeze, which gradually filled in across the racecourse and allowed racing to begin in a steady seven to nine knots. The wind shifted midway through the day, forcing a course change for the final race, before building to approximately 15 knots. Three races were completed in good conditions.

Lynch wins first race

Finn Lynch opened his championships in impressive form. The National Yacht Club member secured a comfortable victory in the first race of the day. He followed that with a second-place finish in race two and a fourth in race three, leaving him at the top of the overall standings.

Speaking after racing, Lynch said:

“I’m happy with how the first day went, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. We’re competing against the best sailors in the world and the conditions are tricky. I’ve sailed here all my life and I’ve never experienced a day quite like today on Dublin Bay, so the plan for the rest of the week is to stick with what works and take each day as it comes.”

Other Irish in action

Fellow Irish sailor Ewan McMahon from Howth Yacht Club also began his championships with a strong eighth-place finish. He followed that with a 19th and a mid-fleet result, which became his discard, leaving him 48th overall after the opening day.

Irish Sailing Development Squad sailors Fiachra McDonnell of Royal Irish Yacht Club and Bobby Driscoll from Ballyholme Yacht Club were also in action. Both gained valuable experience against a world-class fleet. McDonnell recorded an impressive 17th-place finish among his results.

Racing continues tomorrow with the second day of the qualification series, before Gold Fleet racing begins on Wednesday. The championships conclude on Sunday, 30 August, with two Medal Series races deciding the final podium positions.

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This will be the first time since 2001 that Ireland will host a World Championship for an Olympic sailing class.

The event will be hosted jointly by the Royal St George Yacht Club and the National Yacht Club. The Championship will bring the world’s leading ILCA 7 sailors (athletes who compete in the men’s single-handed dinghy at the Olympic Games) to Irish waters.

Irish Sailors

Ireland will be represented by Olympian Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club), Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club), Fiachra McDonnell (Royal Irish Yacht Club), Tom Coulter (East Antrim Boat Club), Bobby Driscoll (Ballyholme Yacht Club) and Roger Craig (Royal St George Yacht Club).

With the new Olympic cycle well under way, the championship will provide an important early benchmark on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. It offers Irish sailors the chance to test themselves against the world’s best on home waters.

Training camps

Several international teams have already held training camps in Dún Laoghaire. June’s Coaches Invitational Regatta provided an early opportunity for competitors to test the venue with Britain’s Elliot Hanson taking the ILCA 7 title, with Finn Lynch finishing level on points for third place. Ireland’s Eve McMahon won the women’s ILCA 6 event.

Six days of competition

The event, which promises six days of world-class competition, will be a significant milestone for Irish sailing as the sport builds towards LA 2028. Racing begins Tuesday next, 25 August.

The event will be followed by the Women’s ILCA 6 World Championship which takes place on Dublin Bay 5 – 12 September 2026.

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McMahon secured her place on the podium after a composed performance in Friday’s Final Series in San Pedro, California, bringing to a close a week of racing against many of the world’s best Olympic sailors.

Racing took place inside the bay in ideal conditions of 10–13 knots of breeze, with both McMahon and fellow Irish sailor Finn Lynch having qualified for the new-look Final Series.

The Women’s Dinghy (ILCA 6) Final Series began after a short delay while the light morning breeze settled across the course. Starting the day level on points for third overall, McMahon delivered when it mattered most, finishing third in the opening Final Series race to strengthen her grip on a medal position.

She backed that up with a fourth-place finish in the final race to secure the bronze medal, ending the regatta just two points behind silver medallist Charlotte Rose (USA) and four behind Britain’s Hannah Snellgrove, who took gold after leading for much of the week.

World Championships in Dublin

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, the multiple Olympic medallist added, “We’ll take a short break now before getting straight back to work preparing for the World Championships in Ireland in September. There’s still plenty to improve, but that’s where our focus is now. Racing for a world title on home waters is a huge opportunity and we’ll do everything we can to be ready.”

In the men’s Finals, Finn Lynch began the day in fourth position but an entanglement with two competitors at one of the marks resulted in a first final race finish of 10th putting the medal opportunity out of reach. Lynch finished the regatta with an eighth place that gave him a final position of seventh overall. The final result was bittersweet in that Lynch missed a medal but will now have the confidence to know he is a contender for the podium in two year’s time.

Paris 2024 Olympic champion Matt Wearn secured gold, with Cyprus’ Pavlos Kontides taking silver and Britain’s Michael Beckett completing the podium.

Attention now turns to the ILCA World Championships in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, with the ILCA 7 World Championship taking place from 23–30 August and the ILCA 6 World Championship following from 5–12 September. This will be the first time since 2001 that Ireland has hosted a World Championship for an Olympic sailing class, presenting the Irish sailors with a rare opportunity to compete for a world title on home waters.

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The pair’s success brings Ireland’s tally in the new Grand Slam series to five podium finishes between them.

7 International medals in 2025

A landmark year for Irish sailing has delivered seven international medals, including a World Championship Bronze, five Grand Slam podiums, and a Bronze at the U23 European Championships.

In the ILCA 7 fleet, Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) and Ewan McMahon (Howth YC) navigated the early rounds in mid-fleet positions before the knockout stages reset the competition.

McMahon exited in the quarter-finals, while Lynch advanced to the final three alongside Italy’s Lorenzo Brando Chiavarini and Britain’s Michael Beckett, the world’s top-ranked sailor.

Golden end to the season

“The final race was a strange one, we had 50-degree shifts in the wind, and I was last on the second lap,” said Carlow sailor Lynch. “But the boys ahead didn’t see a mark change that I spotted, and I managed to slip through for the win. I didn’t have my best week overall, but today I sailed well, and it’s fantastic to end the season with a Gold medal.”

Eve McMahon (Howth YC) dominated much of the ILCA 6 regatta, posting four race wins and holding the overall lead for most of the week. On the final day  her best result was second place, allowing Poland’s Agata Barwinska to edge ahead for Gold.

“Eve sailed brilliantly all week,” said Vasilij Zbogar, Irish Sailing’s ILCA 6 coach. “This new format is very exciting but also unforgiving—there’s no room for mistakes. The Polish sailor just managed to pull ahead on the final day, but a Silver medal is an excellent result. Eve has shown she can deliver consistently at the highest level, and that’s hugely promising for the future.”

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