Work on staging the 2026 ILCA World Championships on Dublin Bay is gathering pace along Dun Laoghaire’s waterfront, with organisers unveiling the official event logo this week.
As regular Afloat readers know, Ireland secured the bid last June to host the double Olympic-class event for the first time.
Con Murphy of the National Yacht Club is chairing the championship organising committee, with the Royal St George’s Brian Craig as deputy chair. Dun Laoghaire Regatta Chairman Don O’Dowd will oversee media.
The Royal St George Yacht Club and National Yacht Club will host the men’s and women’s championships across almost a month of competition. Top Olympic and world-level sailors are expected.
The new event logo for the 2026 ILCA World Championships features the bay's unmistakable Poolbeg chimneys along with the burgees of the organising clubs.
“It’s a massive strategic win for our programme and athletes,” said James O’Callaghan of Irish Sailing's Olympic Team.
ILCA Worlds 2026 Executive team - Con Murphy (centre) of the National Yacht Club will chair the championships, with the Royal St George’s Brian Craig (left) as deputy chair. Outgoing Dun Laoghaire Regatta Chairman Don O’Dowd (right) will oversee media
The men’s event runs from 18–30 August. The women’s championships follow from 31 August to 12 September, when Howth Olympian Eve McMahon will defend her 2025 bronze medal.
Up to 160 sailors will compete in the men’s fleet and 120 in the women’s. Around 50 nations will be represented. NYC’s Finn Lynch, a 2021 world silver medallist, will compete as part of his LA 2028 campaign.
All competitors will race in identical new boats supplied by organisers and will launch from Carlisle Pier.
Event organisers expect 7,263 bed nights and over €1 million in economic impact. Sport Ireland, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and Irish Sailing supported the bid. Additional sponsorship is being sought.
Club commodores Paul Molloy of the RStGYC and Peter Sherry of the NYC signed the hosting contract back in June after seeing off competition from six other international venues.
The championships will attract live-streamed international coverage and follow Dun Laoghaire’s hosting of the 2025 World Sailing Conference in November.
The town’s regeneration plans include a new national watersports campus, adding further momentum to the harbour’s revival.
