Ireland’s leading Olympic sailorse will face one of the toughest regattas of the season next week when the ILCA European Championships begin in Kaštela, Croatia. Olympians Eve McMahon and Finn Lynch lead the Irish team for the six-day championship, which attracts more than 340 sailors across the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 fleets. They are joined by Ewan McMahon and development sailor Fiachra McDonnell in Ireland’s ILCA 7 campaign.
The championship is regarded as a major mid-season test ahead of this summer’s World Championships in Dublin Bay.
Eve McMahon arrives in Croatia after a strong early-season run. The Howth Yacht Club sailor won gold at the Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma before claiming silver at the Sailing Grand Slam event in Hyères. Those performances have strengthened her position among the leading sailors in the ILCA 6 fleet.
Irish Sailing ILCA 6 coach Vasilij Žbogar said the venue would provide demanding conditions. “Expectations are high,” Žbogar said. “This is one of the most demanding sailing areas, with bura, maestral and currents creating very challenging conditions.”
In the ILCA 7 fleet, both Finn Lynch and Ewan McMahon will look to improve on difficult early-season form. Lynch was forced to retire from Palma due to illness, while both sailors missed out on Gold Fleet racing in Hyères after penalties and inconsistent results.
Irish Sailing coach Ben Walkemeyer believes local experience could prove important. “Finn and Ewan have plenty of experience sailing at this venue, which will be a real advantage,” he said. “It’s a tricky location with the surrounding land and mountains creating challenging wind conditions.”
Two races are scheduled each day from Sunday, 27 May, with the European titles decided through a final series rather than a medal race. The event will also include the Under-23 European Championship, where both Eve McMahon and Fiachra McDonnell remain eligible to compete.
Irish Sailing Performance Director James O’Callaghan said the championship would provide an important benchmark for the squad. “It is definitely going to be a tough venue, both in terms of the competition and the conditions,” he said.
