€1.5m ILCA Worlds Charter Fleet Lands on Carlisle Pier
Some €1.5 million worth of brand-new ILCA dinghies has arrived on Dún Laoghaire's Carlisle Pier as preparations move into their final phase for the 2026 ILCA World Championships on Dublin Bay.
The fleet of new Element 6 ILCAs, built in Thailand, has been brought to Dún Laoghaire for what will be an all-charter-boat championship, with competitors racing identical new boats.
The arrival marks another significant step in the build-up to the two World Championships being jointly hosted by the National Yacht Club and Royal St George Yacht Club.
Charter Fleet Takes Over Carlisle Pier
The boats have been brought in by ILCA Worlds charter boat supplier Ferdinand Ziegelmayer, with Hyland Shipping handling their import and transport from the docks.
Special delivery: New Element 6 ILCAs are unloaded from a Hyland Shipping truck on Carlisle Pier after being shipped from Thailand for the Dublin Bay World Championships with Championahip organiser Con Murphy pictured right
Rows of the new hulls are now assembled on Carlisle Pier, together with spars and racks of foil bags containing daggerboards and rudders ready to be issued to competitors.
Rigged and ready: Crates of ILCA spars and equipment have arrived on Carlisle Pier as preparations accelerate for the 2026 World Championships. Photo: Con Murphy
Ready to issue: Racks of foil bags containing daggerboards and rudders await the international sailors arriving in Dún Laoghaire for the ILCA Worlds. Photo: Con Murphy
The scale of the operation was already signalled by Afloat earlier this week, when approximately 40 international sailors and coaches were training from the Coal Harbour and preparations were under way for the arrival of 160 new Element 6 ILCAs.
The Coal Harbour has provided an important temporary training base while the National and Royal St George continue their busy summer sailing programmes.
Official Training Starts Tuesday
Pre-event training using the charter fleet begins next Tuesday, August 18.
A Notice to Competitors issued on Friday confirms that access from the Carlisle Pier charter boat park to the club slipways will operate between 11am and 1pm and again from 2.30pm to 4.30pm each day.
Launching will alternate between the two host clubs.
The National Yacht Club will handle launching on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, while the Royal St George Yacht Club will be used on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Competitors have been instructed to return to the same slipway from which they launched, with marshals assisting movement between the Carlisle Pier boat park and the clubs.
Training timetable: The ILCA Worlds Notice to Competitors sets out the alternating National Yacht Club and Royal St George Yacht Club launching arrangements for pre-event charter-boat training.
Dún Laoghaire Takes on Worlds Look
The harbour is meanwhile taking on the appearance of an international championship venue, with extensive ILCA Worlds branding installed around the waterfront.
World championship welcome: ILCA Worlds branding outside the RStGYC as Dún Laoghaire prepares to welcome the international fleet. Photo: Con Murphy
Event banners are flying through Dún Laoghaire as the arrival of sailors and equipment gathers pace.
International teams have already been training on Dublin Bay. Afloat reported this week that approximately 40 sailors and coaches were using the Coal Harbour, following a similar-sized training group in June.
Early arrivals: International ILCA sailors train on Dublin Bay ahead of the World Championships as a Stena Line ferry passes behind the fleet. Photo: Afloat
The ILCA 7 Men's World Championship runs from August 23 to 30, followed by the ILCA 6 Women's World Championship from September 5 to 12.
The championships are among the highlights of the 2026 Irish sailing season and will bring leading Olympic-class sailors from around the world to Dublin Bay.
