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Irish Laser/ILCA Sailing Dinghy News & Regatta Results
Shifty Start: Competitors from 20 nations race in light and highly variable conditions during the opening day of the 2026 ILCA 7 Masters World Championship in Athens.
The 2026 ILCA 7 Masters World Championship got underway in Athens on Tuesday with two races completed in light and highly variable conditions. A fleet of 86 sailors representing 20 nations faced a demanding opening day as shifting northerly winds…
Prize Pace — Ryan Cairns and crew, winners of the IDRA class at the 2026 DMYC Dinghy Regatta, receive their award from DMYC Commodore Derek Gill following six races on Dublin Bay.
The 2026 DMYC Regatta introduced a new development for the Dun Laoghaire dinghy fraternity – a two-day regatta rather than just a single day. This was a consequence of the very early discussions between the four Dun Laoghaire clubs in…
Masters Of The Game — Competitors and medallists gather at the prizegiving ceremony after the 2026 ILCA 6 Masters World Championship in Athens, where world titles were decided across all age categories following ten races.
The 2026 ILCA 6 Masters World Championship concluded in Athens on Sunday with world champions confirmed across all age categories after a week of competitive racing. Race officials attempted to complete additional races on the final day, but light winds…
Olympic Legacy — ILCA marks 30 years of Olympic sailing, celebrating three decades of elite competition from Atlanta 1996 to Paris 2024 and inspiring the next generation on the road to Los Angeles 2028.
The ILCA class is preparing to celebrate 30 years of Olympic sailing this summer, marking three decades since its debut at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games. From Atlanta to Paris 2024, the ILCA has remained a cornerstone of Olympic sailing,…
Harbour Hustle — Young sailors compete in Dublin Bay's Junior Friday Series as more than 60 dinghy racers prepare to resume competition after the June Bank Holiday break. Photo: Junior Friday Series.
The Junior Friday series resumes this Friday after a short break during the June bank holiday weekend. Over 60 young dinghy sailors from the waterfront clubs have completed 6 competitive races to date and are looking forward to resuming racing…
Second Life? Competitors in the ILCA Masters 2026 arrived in Howth to find a club with clean crisp flags celebrating many things, including Eve McMahon’s U23 ILCA European gold medal, and a prominent message inviting sailors to begin a new sailing path.
The “Suncream Special” ILCA 2026 Masters at Howth over the heatwave weekend not only had an impressive domination by sailors from the Royal St George YC in Dun Laoghaire, but having been celebrating their Golden Jubilee at various Irish sailing…
“Golden
Eve McMahon claimed U23 gold and finished fourth overall at the ILCA European Championships in Croatia after a dramatic final day of racing. The Howth Yacht Club sailor narrowly missed the senior podium following a week of challenging and unpredictable…
“Fleet
Racing at the ILCA European Championships in Croatia was cancelled on Friday after a lightning storm threatened Kaštela Bay during the scheduled racing window. Sailors briefly launched before race officials ordered the fleet back ashore as conditions deteriorated. The cancellation…
Spray Focus — Eve McMahon of Howth Yacht Club remains in contention at the ILCA European Championships in Croatia after another consistent day of Gold Fleet racing.
Ireland’s Finn Lynch and Eve McMahon remain firmly in contention at the ILCA European Championships in Croatia after another consistent day of Gold Fleet racing in Kaštela. Stable conditions and 9–12 knot breezes allowed three races to be completed across…
Winning Pace — Finn Lynch of the National Yacht Club races at the ILCA European Championships in Croatia, where he claimed a race win to move into Gold Fleet.
Irish sailors will contest Gold Fleet racing at the ILCA European Championships in Croatia after strong performances in challenging conditions at Kaštela Bay. National Yacht Club sailor Finn Lynch produced the standout Irish result on day three, winning his only…
Foiling Finish — Ireland’s Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove racing at the 49er World Championships in Quiberon, France, where the pair finished 14th overall in Gold Fleet.
Ireland’s Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove narrowly missed out on the medal-deciding Final Series at the 49er World Championships in Quiberon, France. The North Dublin pairing finished 14th overall after the final day of Gold Fleet racing, ending their challenge…
Spray Zone: Irish Olympian Eve McMahon racing in demanding conditions at Hyères ahead of next week’s ILCA European Championships in Kaštela, Croatia.
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…
Fleet Focus — ILCA sailors spread across Larne Lough during the 2026 Ulster Championships at East Antrim Boat Club as steady breeze and sunshine delivered competitive racing.
The ILCA Ireland circuit returned to East Antrim Boat Club last weekend for the 2026 ILCA Ulster Championships. A fleet of 66 boats raced in bright sunshine and strong north-easterly winds on Larne Lough across two demanding days. ILCA sailors…
While the Irish ILCA/Lasers Masters at Howth on May 23rd-24th may not achieve this pace, it’s re-living the memory of once being able to do so that keeps the Class’s Seniors and Super-Seniors going strong
While the Irish ILCA/Lasers Masters at Howth on May 23rd-24th may not achieve this pace, it’s re-living the memory of once being able to do so that keeps the Class’s Seniors and Super-Seniors going strong.  Howth’s Melange of Matters Maritime,…
Solo Spark — Lijia Xu races in the ILCA 6 fleet before her move into crewed IC37 racing at the Women’s International Championship.
Two-time Olympic medallist Lijia Xu is set to take on a new challenge at the inaugural Women’s International Championship in Newport, Rhode Island, this September. The former singlehanded specialist will skipper a team representing the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club…
Golden Start: Ireland’s Eve McMahon leads the ILCA 6 fleet after strong results in Mallorca and Hyères, setting the early pace in the 2026 Sailing Grand Slam Olympic series
Ireland’s Eve McMahon leads the ILCA 6 rankings after strong results in Mallorca and Hyères at the opening events of the 2026 Sailing Grand Slam. The Howth Yacht Club sailor opened her campaign with victory at the Trofeo Princesa Sofía…

About the ILCA/Laser Dinghy

The ILCA, formerly known as the Laser, is the most produced boat in the world, with 220,000 units built since 1971.

It's easy to see why the single-handed dinghy has won the title of the most widely distributed boat of all time.

The Laser is a one-design dinghy, the hulls being identical but three rigs that can be used according to the size and weight of the sailor.

The class is international, with sailors from 120 countries. The boat has also been an Olympic class since 1996, being both the men's and women's singlehanded dinghy.

Three rigs are recognised by the International Laser Class Association (ILCA):

  • ILCA 4: sail of 4.70m2
  • ILCA 6: sail of 5.76 m2
  • ILCA 7: sail of 7.06 m2

ILCA 2026 Calendar

Apr 04–05 — Munster Championships — Baltimore SC
Apr 09–12 — Irish Sailing Youth Nationals — Ballyholme YC
May 09–10 — Ulster Championships — East Antrim BC
May 23–24 — Masters National Championships — Howth YC
Jun 27–28 — Leinster Championships — Skerries SC
Jul 24–26 — National Championships — Royal St. George YC
Sep 11–12 — End of Season Championships — Waterford Hrbr. YC

2026 ILCA World Championships

Men ILCA 7: Aug 23 – Aug 30
Women ILCA 6: Sep 04 – Sep 12
Royal St. George Yacht Club & National Yacht Club (Dublin Bay)

At A Glance – Laser Dinghy Specifications

Designer Bruce Kirby & Ian Bruce

Year 1969

Crew 1
Draft 0.787 m (2 ft 7.0 in)
Hull weight 58.97 kg (130.0 lb)
LOA 4.2 m (13 ft 9 in)
LWL 3.81 m (12 ft 6 in)
Beam 1.39 m (4 ft 7 in)
Mainsail area 7.06 m2 (76.0 sq ft)

Racing D-PN 91.1 RYA PN 1088 PHRF 217

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