Irish Sailing has promoted Erin McIlwaine and Ellen Barbour to its Senior Squad following a breakthrough season on the 49erFX circuit.
The pair secured bronze at the 2025 U23 49erFX World Championships in Copenhagen, a result that strengthened their push towards Los Angeles 2028 qualification.
McIlwaine and Barbour began sailing together in March 2024. Their 11th-place finish at Kieler Woche signalled early potential.
They held a top-10 position for most of the U23 Worlds and claimed third place on the final day in difficult conditions.
Their World Championship result also earned selection for Sport Ireland’s International Carding Scheme, which offers financial and specialist support for high-performance athletes.
They join a rising group of Irish female skiff sailors, including Lucia Cullen, Alana Twomey, Lauren O’Callaghan and Charlotte Eadie.
Irish Sailing technical director Rory Fitzpatrick said the promotion recognised “hard work meeting opportunity”, adding that the duo had “shown they can execute when it counts”.
It is the first Irish 49erFX Olympic bid since the abandoned 2020 Tokyo skiff bid of Annalise Murphy.
Ireland has only had a single 49erFX representation at the Summer Olympics, when Andrea Brewster and Saskia Tidey (now competing for Team GB) participated in Rio 2016.
McIlwaine, from Kilkeel, sails with Newcastle Yacht Club and trains with the Royal St. George Yacht Club. Barbour, from Whitehead, represents County Antrim Yacht Club. Both study Physiotherapy at Trinity College Dublin.
They now join senior athletes including Olympians Finn Lynch, Eve McMahon, Robert Dickson, Seán Waddilove and Ewan McMahon.
Ben O’Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain also continue to impress after winning U23 49er European gold in November. Their Senior Team prospects will be reviewed after the winter training period, according to Irish Sailing.
