Butcher, Shelly and McDonnell Win ILCA Titles at Dunmore East

15th September 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Heavy weather – Big winds and big seas put ILCA sailors to the test on day one of the ILCA Ireland End of Season event at Waterford Harbour Sailing Club, Dunmore East

As the ILCA Senior Women's World Championships came to a close in Dun Laoghaire, the ILCA Ireland end-of-season event got underway at Waterford Harbour Sailing Club, Dunmore East.

Home Waters – Local sailor Nicola Harris competes in the ILCA 7 fleet as Waterford Harbour Sailing Club hosts the ILCA Ireland End of Season event

The ILCA 4 fleet welcomed a number of new faces who have recently transitioned from Optimists and Toppers, many of whom participated in the ILCA Ireland training clinic led by Liam Glynn at the venue the previous weekend.

With a blustery 25 knots on Saturday and foggy 5 knots on Sunday, International Race Officer Michael Tyrrell persevered to complete one race on each day to complete the series. Huge thanks to all the volunteers in Waterford Harbour Sailing Club; their organisation and hospitality were exceptional.

Deep End – Big seas off Dunmore East provided a demanding test for the ILCA fleets, with Saturday's breeze reaching around 25 knots

In the ILCA 4 fleet, Alex Butcher took the overall title, with Kate Spain finishing second and James Crawford third. Spain also claimed the overall Lady prize, ahead of Florence Butler in second and Emma West Hurst in third. The Silver Fleet was won by Eoin Pierse, with Arthur Fegan second and Emily Donagh third.

Butcher's Best – Alex Butcher leads the ILCA 4 fleet at Dunmore East, where he went on to take the overall title at the ILCA Ireland End of Season event

Spain's Gain – Kate Spain finished second overall in the ILCA 4 fleet and claimed the Lady prize ahead of Florence Butler and Emma West Hurst

The ILCA 6 fleet saw Marcus Shelly crowned overall winner, followed by Eolann Miles and Conor Cronin. In the Lady prizes, Amy Shelly took first place, with Abigail Murphy second and Amy Kiearan third. Shelly also topped the Silver Fleet, ahead of Jackson Clark and Conor Lynch.

The ILCA 7 fleet provided a strong finish to the event, with Fiachra McDonnell claiming the overall championship. Andrew Kingston was second, while Viktor Sentiscev Samoilov took third.

Championship Charge – Fiachra McDonnell powers through the heavy Dunmore East conditions on his way to claiming the overall ILCA 7 championship

The Masters podium was headed by Warren Polly, with Andrejs Samoilov second and Conrad Simpson third.

Faolan O'Murchu Toner won the Youth Prize.

ILCA Ireland has one more event on the calendar this year, a rescheduled Munster Championships in Baltimore on 3rd and 4th of October. Entry is still open on the ILCA Ireland website here.

Race Results

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Published in Laser, Youth Sailing

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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