Ireland's Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove finished sixth among the European crews and ninth overall after the 2026 49er European Championship concluded without a final day's racing in Eckernförde, Germany.
Light and unstable winds prevented any racing on the final day, leaving the standings unchanged after five days of competition on the Baltic Sea.
The Irish Olympic pairing made an outstanding start to the regatta with back-to-back race wins and remained in contention throughout much of the week. As conditions changed from heavy winds to light and highly tactical racing, the Cork and Skerries duo found the later stages of the championship more challenging.
Baltic Battle — Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove compete during the 49er European Championship in Eckernförde, where rapidly changing conditions tested the world's leading skiff sailors. Photo: Sailing Content
Sean Waddilove admitted the pair were disappointed not to finish higher. "We're a little disappointed. Overall, it was a tricky event that required a lot of strategy. We know we're capable of better than ninth overall. We've been working hard on certain areas of our sailing, and I think we're starting to see improvements there, which is encouraging."
Coach Benjamin Bildstein highlighted performance downwind as a key area for development as the team continues its preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Dickson and Waddilove now head to California for the LA World Cup, where they will compete on the waters that will host the 2028 Olympic sailing competition.
Robert Dickson said the regatta would provide valuable experience. "This will be more of a training regatta for us. It's a chance to get familiar with the venue, learn as much as we can and get a good feel for the conditions."
Elsewhere in the Irish squad, Ben O'Shaughnessy (Royal Cork Yacht Club) and Ethan Spain (National Yacht Club) gained valuable experience in the 49er Silver Fleet ahead of this month's Junior World Championships in Medemblik. A broken boom forced the Irish Sailing Development Squad pair ashore for two races, ending their hopes of qualifying for Gold Fleet. Despite the setback, they recorded a third-place finish and two sixth places against a highly experienced international fleet.
Next Step — Ben O'Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain continued their development against one of the world's strongest 49er fleets as they build towards the Junior World Championships. Photo: Sailing Content
Erin McIlwaine (Royal St George Yacht Club/Newcastle Yacht Club) and Ellen Barbour (County Antrim Boat Club) also completed an encouraging championship in the 49erFX fleet during their first senior European campaign together.
Coach Matt McGovern said the week provided an important benchmark for the young partnership. "With such a wide range of conditions, the best crews naturally rose to the top. We were hoping for a stronger result, but our starts put us on the back foot too often. That said, this is still a very new partnership, and there's plenty to be positive about. We now have a clear picture of what we need to work on over the winter, and I'm confident Erin and Ellen will come back stronger and more competitive next season."
Learning Week — Erin McIlwaine and Ellen Barbour finished their first senior 49erFX European Championship with valuable lessons after competing across a full range of conditions in Eckernförde. Photo: Sailing Content
The championship titles were decided on Saturday's standings after the Baltic Sea failed to deliver enough wind for the final races. New Zealand's Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush claimed the Open 49er title, while Britain's James Grummett and Rhos Hawes were crowned European champions as the highest-placed European crew.
Ireland's performance squad now turns its attention to the Sailing Grand Slam in Los Angeles from 19 July, where Dickson and Waddilove will be joined by Finn Lynch, Ewan McMahon and Eve McMahon as preparations for LA 2028 continue.
