Ireland’s world number two Eve McMahon will lead a four-strong home challenge when the 2026 ILCA 6 Women’s World Championship brings 110 sailors from 45 nations to Dún Laoghaire from 7–12 September.
The Howth Yacht Club sailor will be joined by Annalise Murphy, Lucy Ives and Sienna Wright as Dublin Bay hosts the women’s world championship for the first time, just days after staging the ILCA 7 Men’s Worlds.
As Afloat reported earlier, McMahon arrives as one of the leading contenders after a season in which she has medalled at all three Sailing Grand Slam events she contested, winning in Palma, taking silver in Hyères and bronze on the future Los Angeles 2028 Olympic waters at San Pedro.
She also won the Under-23 European title, finished fourth overall at the Senior European Championship and returns to the Worlds as the reigning bronze medallist after becoming the first Irish sailor to win a senior ILCA 6 World Championship medal in Qingdao in 2025.
McMahon Among Open Title Contenders
The 2026 season has produced three different Sailing Grand Slam winners, pointing to an unusually open contest in Dún Laoghaire.
McMahon won in Palma, Charlotte Rose of the United States took victory in Hyères, and Hannah Snellgrove of Great Britain won the most recent round in San Pedro.
Irish Challenge – Ireland’s Eve McMahon will carry world number two status into a formidable 110-boat ILCA 6 fleet on Dublin Bay, with the Howth sailor among the leading contenders for the world title. Photo: Sailing Energy
Rose is the current world number one and has already raced McMahon on Dublin Bay this season. The American led the Coaches’ Invitational Regatta in June before McMahon overturned her advantage to win on home waters.
Reigning World Champion Louise Cervera of France returns to defend the title she won in 2025, while Polish sailor Agata Barwińska, the silver medallist in Qingdao, completes the returning 2025 podium.
The entry also includes reigning European champion Mária Érdi of Hungary, 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Line Flem Høst of Norway, two-time world champion Emma Plasschaert of Belgium, Switzerland’s Maud Jayet and Britain’s Matilda Nicholls.
Murphy Returns to World Championship Racing
One of the strongest Irish storylines will be the return of Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy to international ILCA competition. The National Yacht Club sailor stepped away from Olympic campaigning five years ago but returned to the class this summer and won the Irish National Championship on Dublin Bay in July.
Olympic Return – Rio 2016 silver medallist Annalise Murphy returns to top-level international competition on her home waters, eight months after becoming a mother. Photo: Sailing Energy
Murphy, now 36, will race on the waters where she learned to sail, eight months after becoming a mother. She is one of two Olympic medallists in the fleet alongside Flem Høst, who won bronze at Paris 2024.
Wright and Ives Add Depth to Irish Team
Howth Yacht Club teenager Sienna Wright comes into the championship after winning silver at the ILCA 6 Youth World Championship in Denmark, where she scored four race victories during the series. She also finished second to Murphy at the Irish Nationals in July and will have considerable recent experience of the championship waters.
Royal St George Yacht Club sailor Lucy Ives has returned to competition following knee surgery. She finished ninth at the Irish Nationals and previously reached Gold Fleet at both the 2025 Under-21 World and European Championships.
Together, McMahon, Murphy, Wright and Ives give Ireland representation across senior Olympic experience, established international performance and emerging youth talent.
World Fleet Returns to Dublin Bay
The championship follows the ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship staged by the same two Dún Laoghaire clubs in August, when Hungary’s Jonatán Vadnai claimed the men’s world title. The ILCA 6 is the single-handed dinghy used for the women’s Olympic event, with sailors competing in identical boats and relying on boat speed, tactical judgement and their ability to handle changing conditions.
Dublin Bay’s tide, chop and frequently shifting breeze are expected to provide another demanding championship test.
Irish Sailing Performance Director James O’Callaghan said the men’s championship had created a strong atmosphere around Dún Laoghaire and that the women’s event would offer another opportunity for young sailors to see leading Olympic athletes competing at close quarters.
“Our sailors are in good form, and the forecast suggests we will see a wide variety of conditions, which is exactly what you want from a World Championship,” he said.
World Stage – Dún Laoghaire’s National Yacht Club and Royal St George Yacht Club prepare to welcome 110 sailors from 45 nations for the 2026 ILCA 6 Women’s World Championship. Photo: ILCA
Event Chairman Con Murphy said the organising team was preparing to welcome “110 athletes at the very top of their sport competing for one of sailing’s greatest prizes: a world title”.
The championship is hosted jointly by the National Yacht Club and Royal St George Yacht Club in conjunction with ILCA.
Racing begins on Monday, 7 September and continues until Saturday, 12 September, with the Medal Races to be livestreamed on the ILCA YouTube channel with commentary from Maurice O’Connell and Beijing Olympian Ciara Peelo.
