Mark Lyttle Wins Gold, Sean Craig Claims Silver at ILCA Master Euros in UK

20th June 2025

Afloat.ie Team

2025 ILCA Master European Championships - Steve Cockerill won the GM6 event with eight-time European Masters Gold winner, Ian Jones in bronze and Sean Craig (right) of Ireland winning silver

Irish ILCA 6 champion Sean Craig of the Royal St. George Yacht Club split two UK singlehander legends when he took silver on the Grand Masters 6 podium on Friday afternoon at the 2025 ILCA Master European Championships at Hayling Island on the English south coast. Steve Cockerill won the event with eight-time European Masters Gold winner, Ian Jones, in bronze.

Conditions were eight to 15 knots all week, with nice short waves for downwind planing. All age categories raced together.

The result is a high-water mark for Craig in the Grand Master 6 rig, it also representing seventh overall out of 64 competing. His U flag DSQ in Race 3 made life tough as he could no longer risk pushing the line, but a solid final day, beating his main rivals in all three races put him in the medals.

And in a further boost for Irish ILCA sailing, Dun Laoghaire's Mark Lyttle took Gold in Grand Master 7 sailing for GBR, when he finished third overall in 57 boats.

Results are here

Published in Laser

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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