The countdown is on to the 2026 European Championships for the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 classes, with racing due to begin in Eckernförde, Germany, on July 7. The six-day championship follows closely on the heels of Kiel Week, where many of the leading teams remained in Germany to continue training ahead of the continental title decider.
Ireland will be represented by two crews in the 49er fleet and one in the 49erFX class at Eckernförde. Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove, together with Ben O'Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain, contest the men's 49er championship, while Erin McIlwaine and Ellen Barbour fly the Irish flag in the women's 49erFX event. As reported by afloat, all three crews arrive after valuable race practice at Kiel Week, where Dickson and Waddilove underlined their potential with a race win and a second-place finish before placing 14th overall, while McIlwaine and Barbour showed encouraging speed in the 49erFX fleet. O'Shaughnessy and Spain also gained important experience after progressing to Silver Fleet in the highly competitive 49er class.
The 49er fleet is expected to be the largest, with 97 entries, while 55 crews will contest the 49erFX championship. Together, the two Olympic skiff classes account for more than 150 boats on the start line. Fresh from victory at Kiel Week, Switzerland's Joshua Richner and Nilo Schärer head the 49er contenders after winning the new-format regatta in light and challenging conditions.
In the 49erFX fleet, Canadian sisters Georgia and Antonia Lewin-Lafrance arrive as the form team after claiming the Kiel Week title. They also return as defending European champions, having won the 2025 championship in Thessaloniki.
The championship has attracted significantly larger fleets than last year, with entries across all three Olympic classes rising from 118 boats in 2025 to 194 this year.
Racing runs from July 7 to July 12, with competitors from more than 35 nations expected to compete
