McMahon and Lynch Lead Irish Challenge at European Championships
Ireland’s top sailors are set for one of the biggest tests of the season next week as the ILCA European Championships get underway in Kaštela, Croatia. With more than 340 sailors competing across two fiercely competitive Olympic classes, the regatta will provide a major benchmark ahead of a busy summer of international racing.
Olympians Eve McMahon and Finn Lynch lead the Irish challenge and will be joined by Ewan McMahon and Fiachra McDonnell for the first major championship event of their 2026 campaign.
The Championships represent a significant step up from the early-season Grand Slam regattas, bringing together many of the world’s leading sailors in the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 fleets.
Ireland will be represented in the ILCA 7 (Men’s Dinghy) by Carlow’s Finn Lynch (National YC), Ewan McMahon (Howth YC), and Development Sailor Fiachra McDonnell (Royal Irish Yacht Club), while Eve McMahon (Howth YC) lines out in the ILCA 6 (Women’s Dinghy).
Eve McMahon arrives in Croatia on the back of an outstanding run of early-season form. The Irish Olympian, who was named Irish Times Sportswoman of the Month in April, claimed Gold at the prestigious Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma before following it up with Silver at last month’s Sailing Grand Slam in Hyères.
Those performances have further underlined McMahon’s status as one of the leading sailors in the ILCA 6 fleet and one of Ireland’s brightest Olympic prospects.
Irish Sailing ILCA 6 Coach Vasilij Žbogar was on hand to launch the event earlier in the week, “Expectations are high. This is one of the most demanding sailing areas, with bura, maestral and currents creating very challenging conditions. It is not easy to sail here, but it is exactly these conditions that produce top-level sailors.”
In the Men’s Dinghy, Lynch and McMahon have not enjoyed the strongest start to the season. Lynch was struck down by illness in Palma forcing him to retire early from the regatta. In Hyères, both sailors incurred penalties for starting early and combined with a series of mid-fleet finishes, were left with too much to do to secure places in Gold Fleet. Both will be hoping to make their mark here.
"Finn and Ewan have plenty of experience sailing at this venue, which will be a real advantage when racing moves into the Bay of Kaštela. It’s a tricky location with the surrounding land and mountains creating challenging wind conditions, so their knowledge of the water and local breeze patterns will be hugely beneficial," commented Ben Walkemeyer, Irish Sailing's ILCA7 coach. "Their goal here would be to shake off that early form and hit personal bests for each of them."
Six days of competition begin on Sunday 27 May with two races scheduled each day in both classes. The format of this regatta means there will be no medal race with European titles decided through a final series over two days.
Irish Sailing Performance Director, James O’Callaghan said, “Both teams have been on site preparing for this competition. It is definitely going to be a tough venue, both in terms of the competition and the conditions, so it will provide our team with a great opportunity to compete under a variety of pressures.”
The Under-23 European title will also be competed for at this event. This U23 prize was introduced last year in Marstrand, with Eve McMahon taking Bronze, making Kaštela only its second edition. McMahon still sits within the age group as does McDonnell in the ILCA 7.
The European Championships come ahead of the ILCA World Championships which will be held in Dublin Bay in late Summer where the World’s best Olympic Class sailors will descend upon Dun Laoghaire.