Irish sailor Eve McMahon of Howth Yacht Club has achieved another milestone, becoming World Number One in the latest World Sailing rankings, released on June 10th. This marks the first time McMahon has held the top spot, following her impressive bronze medal performance at the ILCA World Championships in China last month and a standout debut at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. She previously held the 12th position.
Olympians Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove currently hold fourth place in the Men’s Skiff rankings, following a strong performance at the European Championships in Greece. In the ILCA 7 class, double Olympian Finn Lynch is ranked seventh, while Ewan McMahon has reached a career-best 11th place, buoyed by a string of impressive early-season results.
This is the first time an Irish Sailor has been ranked this high by World Sailing, with Finn Lynch and Maria Coleman previously ranked second.
The World Sailing Rankings for Olympic classes are administered by World Sailing and are updated approximately nine times a year, aligned with the international competition calendar, but recently drew criticism from the American sailing website Scuttlebutt, which claimed they need to be reset.
James O’Callaghan, Performance Director at Irish Sailing, commented, “To have five senior athletes ranked so high globally is a remarkable achievement and a true reflection of the depth of talent in Irish sailing. For Eve to reach World Number One at just 21 years of age is exceptional. It proves, once again, that Ireland consistently punches above its weight on the international stage in sailing. But, whilst these ranking are a significant and welcome marker, our athletes remain focused on delivering at key events.”
In further good news for ILCA sailing – as Afloat revealed this week – the World Championships have been confirmed for Dun Laoghaire in 2026, which will provide the opportunity for McMahon to defend her recently won bronze on home waters.
