Silver for Sienna Wright at ILCA 6 Youth Worlds

19th August 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Silver Standard – Howth Yacht Club’s Sienna Wright races in Aarhus, where four race wins helped the Irish sailor secure silver at the ILCA 6 Youth World Championships Credit: Peter Broegger

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.

Published in Laser, Howth YC

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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