Thirteen Irish sailors are among the 429 competitors from 45 nations beginning the 2026 ILCA 6 Youth World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, on Thursday (13 August).
Ireland has three sailors in the girls' championship — Abigail Murphy, Siún Ní Choistealbha and Sienna Wright — while the ten-strong boys' contingent comprises Rory Brennan-Hobbs, Cormac Byrne, Conor Cronin, Harry Dunne, Eduardo Gasset, Jack Ives, Eolann Miles, Max O'Hare, Joseph Robinson and Marcus Shelley, according to the championship entry lists.
The international fleet officially opened the championships on Thursday evening with a parade along the Aarhus waterfront, where competitors walked beneath the flags of the 45 participating nations with Aarhus Bay as a backdrop.
Six days of competition now await the young sailors, beginning with Friday's opening races in the Qualifying Series.
The parade concluded at Aarhus International Sailing Centre, where the sailors were welcomed by the centre's chairman, Hans Skou, and Danish Olympic gold medallist and four-time ILCA world champion Anne-Marie Rindom. Rindom offered a concise piece of advice before racing: “Sail fast and have fun.”
The championship fleet had earlier taken to Aarhus Bay for Thursday's official practice race. Light winds provided a final opportunity for sailors to familiarise themselves with the race area while race management tested courses, starting procedures and other arrangements.
Judges and race officials also used the session to rehearse procedures ahead of the championship proper. Registration and equipment inspection have now been completed, with organisers expecting a mixture of light and moderate winds during the event.
The Irish sailors will face one of the year's largest international youth dinghy fleets as the championship progresses from qualifying into the final stages on Aarhus Bay.
