Mixed Day for Irish Sailors at 49er Worlds
As Day One of Gold Fleet racing got underway at the 49er World Championships, Ireland’s Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove made a modest gain on the leaderboard, moving from 20th to 18th overall.
It was a day of mixed results. With three races sailed in lighter conditions, Dickson and Waddilove opened their account with a very respectable sixth-place finish in this high-calibre fleet. Conditions were markedly different from the previous two days, with winds dropping to around 11 knots compared to yesterday’s 25–30 knots.
As the breeze continued to ease throughout the day, their second race produced a 16th-place finish, while the third ended in a disappointing 24th place, which will become their discard score. They now sit 17 points shy of the top-ten position required to progress to Sunday’s Final Series.
Robert Dickson commented after racing, “It was a hard day to stay consistent out there. We had three races in tricky, shifty conditions and only the first race really worked out for us. A lot of crews experienced mixed results and it was much the same for us.”
The placings are currently topped by New Zealand’s Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush and very few of the top sailors have escaped incurring high scores during this series.
Dickson continued, “We had a tough Worlds last year, so it’s good to be back near the front of the fleet again, we’re really enjoying that but the aim is to get results so the focus will be on consistency tomorrow and hopefully that will be enough to fall within the top ten for the Final Series on Sunday.”
There will be another three races tomorrow on the final day of the Elimination Series, giving the Dublin sailors another opportunity to improve their position.
In Silver Fleet, Women’s Skiff sailors Erin McIlwaine (Royal St George YC / Newcastle YC) and Ellen Barbour (County Antrim Yacht Club) experienced an encouraging day in the 24-boat fleet, with a fifth-place finish among their standout results to leave them 11th overall.
The pair are relishing the opportunity to develop their skills and gain valuable experience at this high-level World Championship as they continue through their first season in senior competition.
Racing continues tomorrow with the final day of Gold Fleet for the Men’s Skiff pair with three races scheduled from 9am (Irish Time). The top ten from Gold Fleet will proceed into a Final Series on Sunday. Silver Fleet in the Women’s Skiff will race from 12pm.
Follow livestream: 2026 World Championship - International 49er Class Association