World Class: Gold and Silver for Ireland at Sailing Grand Slam Final
Ireland’s Finn Lynch and Eve McMahon capped off a momentous season today (Sunday, 21 September), claiming Gold and Silver medals at the Sailing Grand Slam Final in the Netherlands.
The pair’s success brings Ireland’s tally in the new Grand Slam series to five podium finishes between them, underscoring a landmark year for Irish sailing. In total, the season has delivered seven international medals, including a World Championship Bronze, five Grand Slam podiums, and a Bronze at the U23 European Championships.
In the ILCA 7 fleet, Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) and Ewan McMahon (Howth YC) navigated the early rounds in mid-fleet positions before the knockout stages reset the competition. McMahon exited in the quarter-finals, while Lynch advanced to the final three alongside Italy’s Lorenzo Brando Chiavarini and Britain’s Michael Beckett, the world’s top-ranked sailor.
“The final race was a strange one, we had 50-degree shifts in the wind, and I was last on the second lap,” said Carlow sailor Lynch. “But the boys ahead didn’t see a mark change that I spotted, and I managed to slip through for the win. I didn’t have my best week overall, but today I sailed well, and it’s fantastic to end the season with a Gold medal.”
Meanwhile, Eve McMahon (Howth YC) dominated much of the ILCA 6 regatta, posting four race wins and holding the overall lead for most of the week. On the final day, however, her best result was second place, allowing Poland’s Agata Barwinska to edge ahead for Gold.
“Eve sailed brilliantly all week,” said Vasilij Zbogar, Irish Sailing’s ILCA 6 coach. “This new format is very exciting but also unforgiving—there’s no room for mistakes. The Polish sailor just managed to pull ahead on the final day, but a Silver medal is an excellent result. Eve has shown she can deliver consistently at the highest level, and that’s hugely promising for the future.”
The Grand Slam Final brings the curtain down on an outstanding season for Ireland’s ILCA sailors, firmly establishing the nation among the world’s leading sailing countries. Attention now turns to October, when Olympians Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove will contest the 49er World Championships in Sardinia.