Ireland’s Eve McMahon lies 12th overall after three top-ten finishes on the opening day of the ILCA 6 Women’s World Championship in Dún Laoghaire. The Howth Yacht Club sailor scored a sixth, fourth and eighth across Monday’s three qualifying races, putting her on 18 points after discard and within five points of the top ten.
It was an encouraging opening to Ireland’s first staging of the Women’s ILCA World Championship, with 110 sailors representing an international fleet racing from the National Yacht Club and Royal St George Yacht Club.
McMahon Finds Consistency in Dublin Bay Breeze
McMahon started sixth in her Blue Fleet opener before improving to fourth in race two. A difficult start to the third race forced the Irish Olympian into recovery mode, but she worked back through the fleet to eighth.
Hiking Hard: Eve McMahon digs in during a physically demanding opening day on Dublin Bay, where three top-ten finishes put the Howth sailor 12th overall. Photo: Andrew Conan
“It was a really tricky day out there, but I’m happy with my results,” McMahon said. “It was a consistent start to the week, which is what I was looking for." “It’s a game of averages, so I just want to stay consistent and keep my points as low as possible. I think I managed to do that.”
The 2024 Olympian also relished the rare opportunity to compete for a world title on home waters.
“It’s incredible to have a World Championship at home. It’s definitely a huge advantage on land and it has been a long time since my family and friends have been able to watch me sail. I’m really excited to be representing Ireland here in Ireland.”
Murphy 22nd on International Return
Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy is 22nd overall after making her return to senior international ILCA competition following a five-year break after the Tokyo Games.
Back In The Mix: Annalise Murphy powers through the Dublin Bay chop on her return to senior international competition, opening her ILCA 6 Worlds campaign with two 11ths and a 14th. Photo: ILCA
The National Yacht Club sailor, who came into the Worlds after winning the Irish ILCA National Championship, recorded an 11th, 11th and 14th in the Blue Fleet.
“It was a tough day out there,” Murphy said. “I struggled to get off the start line in the first two races, so it was a battle to work my way back through the fleet."
“I’m in the mix, though. My biggest concern was that I might be battling at the back, but that definitely wasn’t the case.”
Murphy said the conditions made for a demanding return. “I’m having great fun, as much as you can in those conditions! The wind and the shifts made it very physically demanding, and I’m still a little rusty, but I really enjoyed it.”
Howth Yacht Club’s Sienna Wright, the 17-year-old silver medallist at last month’s ILCA 6 Youth World Championships in Denmark, is 49th overall. Her best result was 15th in the second race.
Youth To Worlds: Howth Yacht Club’s Sienna Wright tackles the strong Dublin Bay conditions, with a 15th in the second race helping the 17-year-old to 49th overall after day one. Photo: Andrew Conan
Royal St George Yacht Club sailor Lucy Ives, competing at her first senior World Championship, is 87th overall after the opening three races.
Rose and Plasschaert Tied at the Top
At the head of the championship, American Charlotte Rose and Belgium’s two-time world champion Emma Plasschaert are tied on three net points, with Rose leading on countback.
Rose recorded 1-(2)-2, while Plasschaert returned 1-2-(3). Denmark’s Anna Munch is third on six points after scoring (5)-5-1.
The other race victories went to the Netherlands’ Maxime Jonker, Britain’s Daisy Collingridge and Australia’s Frances Beebe.
All three fleets completed their scheduled three races in an offshore breeze ranging from 12 to 20 knots and gusting to 25 knots. The average was around 16 knots, with the combination of offshore wind and current producing choppy conditions.
“It was offshore, so honestly my game plan was just to go where the pressure was,” Rose said. “We definitely had some big gusts and really big lulls.”
Plasschaert described the opening programme of three approximately 50-minute races as a “pretty heavy” day. “You can’t win a championship on day one, but you can lose it, so I’m pretty happy with a solid day to go into the rest of the Qualifying Series,” she said.
Two More Qualifiers Scheduled
Two races are scheduled for Tuesday to complete the Preliminary Series, with the first possible warning signal at noon. The fleet is then due to split for Gold Fleet racing from Wednesday as the battle for the world title intensifies.
The championship concludes on Saturday, September 12, with the Medal Series deciding the final podium positions.
The 2026 ILCA 6 Women’s World Championship runs from September 7–12 off Dún Laoghaire and is organised by the National Yacht Club and Royal St George Yacht Club in conjunction with ILCA.
Strong Return: Annalise Murphy races in the thick of the international fleet off Dún Laoghaire, finishing the opening day 22nd overall after three demanding races. Photo: ILCA
Irish positions after three races: Eve McMahon 12th (6-4-8, 18 net); Annalise Murphy 22nd (11-11-14, 22); Sienna Wright 49th (28-15-24, 39); Lucy Ives 87th (38-42-50, 80).
