The weather cooperated once again on Dublin Bay to deliver a nail-biting conclusion to the 2025 ILCA Under-21 World Championships on Friday, August 29th, where three new world titles were decided at the end of a full 12-race programme at the National Yacht Club and Royal St. George Yacht Clubs in Dun Laoghaire.
After dominating all week, Roos Wind NED won the ILCA 6 Under-21 Women’s title, while Ole Schweckendiek GER held his overnight lead to claim the Men’s ILCA 7 championship. Tenth-placed Omer Vered Vilenchik ISR won the ILCA 7 Youth Men’s title.
Friday’s final day was graced by fresh offshore winds gusting to more than 20 knots at times. Although the flood tide created steep waves, it at least flowed consistently in one direction throughout racing.
In the ILCA 6 Under-21 Women’s event, Roos Wind started the day with a comfortable points margin over second-placed Emma Mattivi ITA. However, Wind was vulnerable to a match race attack as her discard had already been used by a heavy score from Thursday — and Mattivi duly obliged.
As the pair broke away into their own battle, the Italian led at the gybe mark, but Roos managed to shake her off in a brief gybing duel and refocus on chasing the leaders.
Eventually, she crossed the finishing line in 12th place, while Mattivi discarded her 19th, leaving the Dutch sailor overjoyed with the result.
"Unbelievable! I'm world champion and I'm so, so happy and really relieved," said Roos shortly after finishing. "It was really difficult. I tried to sail my own race but Emma wanted to do a match race so it was really tough but I managed to get away and sail quick and fast. In the end, it was enough for the win and I'm really happy."
Roos Wind NED on top of the podium in Dun Laoghaire, having won the Women’s Under 21 ILCA 7 World championship Photo: ILCA/David Branigan
Mattivi secured Silver, while the battle for third place saw Frances Beebe AUS dominate the final day with double bullets, adding to her two second places from Thursday. She edged out Ginevra Caracciolo Di Brienza ITA by a single point to claim Bronze.
Of the host nation sailors, Sienna Wright IRL finished 15th overall in the 73-boat Women’s fleet.
Meanwhile, Ole Schweckendiek carefully managed his overnight advantage to sail conservatively on the final day, securing the ILCA 7 Under-21 Men’s world title with a ten-point margin.
"It was great... so fast upwind and great racing - I'm happy to win but it was really tight," said a relieved Schweckendiek. "Overall, it was a good series and a good ending."
Although he discarded a 19th place in race eleven, his main rival Edward Reid AUS was black-flagged, which removed the pressure. Reid’s teammate and close friend Isaac Schotte AUS stepped up with a race win, but an eighth in the final race wasn’t enough to unseat the German.
Reid did bounce back with a win in the last race, but it wasn’t enough to hold the podium as Athanasios Kyfidis GRE edged him out by two points in a very tight men’s event that drew 139 boats.
Best of the Irish was Fiachra McDonnell IRL in 11th overall. He signed off with a fifth in the final race, adding to his earlier race win in the qualification series, his two best results of the championship.
Tenth-placed Omer Vered Vilenchik ISR secured the ILCA 7 Youth Men’s world championship title, his series including several strong single-digit results that hinted at podium potential or at least a top-six finish.
Attention now turns to the 2025 ILCA Under-21 European Championships in Split, Croatia (18–25 October 2025), while the 2026 World Championship will be staged in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain from 17–24 January 2026.
The ILCA Under-21 World Championships is an international sailing event that showcases the next generation of elite sailors in the ILCA class. Bringing together the best young athletes from around the globe, the championship provides a bridge between youth competition and senior-level racing. As a proving ground for future Olympians and professional sailors, it offers rising talent the opportunity to sharpen their skills, gain invaluable international experience, and build lasting connections within the worldwide sailing community.
Final Results
Women's Under-21 – Top 10
Roos Wind NED – 43 pt
Emma Mattivi ITA – 71 pt
Frances Beebe AUS – 90 pt
Ginevra Caracciolo Di Brienza ITA – 91 pt
Evie Saunders AUS – 101 pt
Maria Victoria Arseni ITA – 106 pt
Isabella Mendoza Cabezas USA – 132 pt
Romi Safin EST – 176 pt
Marga Perello ESP – 178 pt
Hermione Ghicas GRE – 179 pt
Men's Under-21 – Top 10
Ole Schweckendiek GER – 52 pt
Isaac Schotte AUS – 62 pt
Athanasios Kyfidis GRE – 89 pt
Edward Reid AUS – 91 pt
George Pilkington NZL – 94 pt
Reem Pulci Magen ISR – 107 pt
Mark Hestbaek DEN – 116 pt
Erik Norlen SWE – 132 pt
Filip Olszewski POL – 142 pt
Omer Vered Vilenchik ISR – 145 pt
Men's Under-19 – Top 10
Omer Vered Vilenchik ISR – 145 pt
Karol Krupski Teterycz ESP – 179 pt
Adamantios Petrianos GRE – 193 pt
Daniel Gimenez Mesquida ESP – 230 pt
Jan Rohde POL – 243 pt
Bartol Jocic CRO – 246 pt
Leonardo Locci ITA – 259 pt
Reilly Nakatsu CAN – 271 pt
Franz Lasch GER – 314 pt
Narimitsu Toyozumi JPN – 332 pt
