Ireland will have two crews competing at the 2026 49er World Championships in Quiberon, France from 12–17 May, as some of the country’s top sailing talent take on the world’s best in one of the most competitive events of the season.
Tokyo and Paris Olympians Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove will represent Ireland in the Men’s Skiff 49er class, while rising talents Erin McIlwaine and Ellen Barbour will compete in the Women’s Skiff 49erFX fleet.
Hosted at the National Nautical Institute in Saint-Pierre-Quiberon, the championship is a major milestone on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and will bring together elite sailors from across the globe in the Olympic skiff classes.
Ireland heads into the championship on the back of a series of strong international performances, highlighted by Dickson and Waddilove’s standout silver medal at French Olympic Week in Hyères, part of the prestigious Sailing Grand Slam series.
The Irish duo produced one of their strongest regatta performances this season, showing consistency throughout the week to finish ahead of leading crews from France and China in a tightly contested fleet. Their result marked a significant step forward from the opening Grand Slam event in Palma de Mallorca and underlined their growing status among the world’s top 49er teams heading into Quiberon.
In the Women’s Skiff, McIlwaine and Barbour secured a strong seventh-place finish in Hyères. Competing in their first season on the Irish Sailing Senior Squad, the Northern Irish duo have been continuously building momentum and arrive at the World Championship in a promising position.
Irish Sailing Technical Director, Rory Fitzpatrick said, “Recent preparations have been going well for the two boats going into Quiberon with both of them in the medal race finals in the recent Hyeres Grand Slam. In saying that, this event is a World Championship and there will be stages where the competition will get tough. I've been impressed with each of the teams’ character over the past number of weeks so I believe they will find a way to bring their best performance to the racetrack.”
With Olympic qualification cycles intensifying, the Quiberon regatta is expected to attract a full field of elite international teams. Racing begins on Tuesday, 12 May, with three days of qualification racing, followed by two days of Gold Fleet racing. The top 10 teams will then progress to the Final Series on Sunday, 17 May, where two races will decide the podium places.