Howth Yacht Club sailor Sienna Wright has won silver at the ILCA 6 Youth World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, after an impressive campaign that included four race victories. Wright established herself among the championship leaders early in the series and maintained her challenge through a week of closely fought racing in difficult, frequently shifting conditions.
The Irish sailor and Greece’s Hermione Ghicas gradually opened a gap over the chasing fleet, turning the battle for the women’s world title into a two-sailor contest. Ghicas ultimately secured gold, but Wright had done enough to guarantee the silver medal with a race to spare.
The result represents another major international achievement for a young sailor from Howth Yacht Club and continues Ireland’s strong record in the women’s ILCA 6 Youth World Championship.
Fellow Howth sailor Eve McMahon, now part of the Irish Sailing Senior Squad and a Senior World Championship bronze medallist, won back-to-back ILCA 6 Youth world titles in 2021 and 2022.
Irish sailors in Aarhus
Ireland was also represented in the female fleet by Abigail Murphy and Siún Ní Choistealbha, with both sailors recording a best individual race finish of 16th.
In the male ILCA 6 championship, Malahide Yacht Club’s Conor Cronin made a flying start with first and second-place finishes. However, he couldn't maintain that early position in the highly competitive fleet and finished the championship 49th overall.
Brazil’s Erik Scheidt claimed the male world title.
Marcus Shelley, Cormac Byrne, Rory Brennan Hobbs, Harry Dunne, Eolann Miles, Max O’Hare, Jack Ives, Eduardo Gasset and Joseph Robinson also represented Ireland in the male championship.
Dublin Bay next for Wright
Wright will now turn her attention to senior international competition, with the ILCA 6 World Championships scheduled for Dublin Bay from 5–12 September.
The home championship will provide Wright with an opportunity to step up from her silver-medal performance in Aarhus and test herself against the leading sailors in the senior ILCA 6 fleet.
World Podium – Ireland’s Sienna Wright celebrates her ILCA 6 Youth World Championship silver in Aarhus alongside gold medallist Hermionie Ghicas of Greece and bronze medallist Chloe Turner of New Zealand. Photo: ILCA
Ghicas Sweeps Final Day as 45 Nations Complete Youth Worlds
Wright’s silver came at the end of a major international championship involving 429 sailors from 45 nations, with six days of racing on Aarhus Bay producing conditions ranging from light, shifting breezes to stronger winds.
Greece’s Hermionie Ghicas began the final day just one point ahead of Wright, leaving the world title finely balanced. Ghicas then delivered a decisive finish, winning all three races in the women’s Gold fleet to secure gold, with Wright taking silver and New Zealand’s Chloe Turner completing the podium.
“I felt very comfortable on the boat with this wind and I’m very happy I managed to be strong both mentally, physically and tactically on the water,” Ghicas said after securing the championship.
Her victory completed a notable Greek double in Aarhus, following Eleni Triantou’s ILCA 4 Youth World Championship victory earlier in August.
In the men’s championship, Brazil’s Erik Scheidt converted his advantage going into the final day into the world title, with Spain’s Nikko Palou taking silver and Italy’s Lorenzo Ghirotti bronze. Palou was also the leading U17 male sailor, while Turkey’s Derin Bartan took the women’s U17 prize.
For Wright, the final standings underline the scale of her achievement: the Howth sailor emerged with world silver from a championship drawing the leading youth ILCA 6 sailors from across 45 countries, having scored four race victories during the series.
The championship concluded with the medal ceremony in Aarhus on Wednesday evening, where Wright joined Ghicas and Turner on the women’s podium.
