Ireland’s Eve McMahon has secured a place in Saturday’s ten-boat Medal Series at the ILCA 6 Women’s World Championship in Dún Laoghaire, qualifying ninth overall after a difficult final day of Gold Fleet racing on Dublin Bay.
The Howth Yacht Club Olympian goes into the two-race decider on 40 points after the Final Series points reset, with the USA’s Charlotte Rose leading on 15 points.
Gold is mathematically beyond McMahon’s reach, but the silver and bronze medals remain possible in the new ILCA Final Series format, which halves the sailors’ points before Saturday’s two decisive races.
McMahon Survives Difficult Light-Wind Race
McMahon began Friday seventh overall after scoring two second places on Thursday, but very light and shifting conditions made the final day of the Elimination Series particularly difficult.
Racing started at 11am in six to nine knots and flat water. McMahon was over the line at the start and had to return, leaving herself with substantial ground to recover in a patchy breeze.
She finished towards the back of the 54-boat Gold Fleet, with the result becoming her discard, and slipped two places to ninth overall.
“I had one job today, which was to sail two good races. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, but I managed to put together a consistent enough scoreline across the week to qualify for the Medal Series, so that’s a positive,” McMahon said.
“I have to remember that these sailors are the best in the world and many of them have seven to ten years more experience than I do.
“I’ll go out and fight for two solid races tomorrow and see how much I can gain. Then I’ll take everything I’ve learned here into next season and the next World Championship in Brazil, which will be an Olympic qualifier.”
McMahon made a better start when the fleet eventually got away for a second attempt later in the afternoon, but the wind rapidly collapsed to around one knot and the race was abandoned.
With no further racing possible, her place in the top ten was confirmed.
Rose Leads After Points Reset
Charlotte Rose of the USA will carry the lead into Saturday after completing the Elimination Series on 30 points, ahead of Belgium’s Emma Plasschaert on 39 and Denmark’s Anna Munch on 50.
Under ILCA’s Final Series format, those totals are halved, giving Rose 15 points, Plasschaert 20 and Munch 25.
The Netherlands' Maxime Jonker is fourth on 28, with Britain's Matilda Nicholls fifth on 33 after winning Friday's only completed Gold Fleet race.
Hungary’s Maria Erdi is sixth on 34, defending champion Louise Cervera of France seventh on 38, and Britain's Hannah Snellgrove eighth on 39.
McMahon and Poland's Agata Barwińska complete the top ten, both carrying 40 points into the Medal Series.
The scoring system is ILCA’s own Final Series format and differs from the World Sailing format.
Cervera Makes Late Charge Into Top Ten
Friday’s biggest move came from reigning world champion Cervera, who finished fourth in the sole completed race to jump from 18th into seventh overall and secure her place in the Medal Series.
Nicholls also made a decisive move, her race victory lifting her from tenth to fifth.
After the opening race, the fleet endured a postponement of more than three hours as the breeze died and shifted. Racing resumed at around 3.30pm, but the second race was abandoned when the wind disappeared.
Murphy Outside Medal Series
Rio Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy of the National Yacht Club finished 31st in Friday’s race and did not qualify for the top-ten Medal Series.
Murphy will instead compete in Saturday's final Fleet Race for the remaining sailors before joining RTÉ sailing correspondent Maurice O’Connell on the commentary team for the Medal Series.
In Silver Fleet, Sienna Wright of Howth Yacht Club is second overall, while Lucy Ives of the Royal St George Yacht Club lies 27th. Both will complete their championships in Saturday’s Fleet Race.
The Gold Fleet's final race is scheduled from 11am on Saturday, with Silver Fleet from 11.10am.
The two-race Medal Series is scheduled to begin at 1.30pm, when McMahon will line up against the nine other leading sailors to decide the 2026 ILCA 6 Women's World Championship medals.
