Historic Women’s Sailing World Championship Comes to Dublin Bay
World number two Eve McMahon leads the Irish challenge as 110 sailors from 45 nations compete in Dún Laoghaire
In a historic first for Irish sailing, the Women’s ILCA 6 World Championship will take place in Dún Laoghaire from 7–12 September.
A fleet of 110 sailors representing 45 nations will compete on Dublin Bay, bringing together the world’s leading female single-handed sailors as they build towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The championship follows the ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship, held in Dún Laoghaire in August, where Hungary’s Jonatan Vadnai was crowned world champion.
The ILCA 6 is the single-handed dinghy used for the women’s competition at the Olympic Games. Every sailor competes in an identical boat, meaning success comes down to speed, skill and the ability to adapt to changing conditions, all qualities Dublin Bay can be relied upon to test throughout the championship.
The event will be hosted jointly by the Royal St George Yacht Club and the National Yacht Club, bringing one of international sailing’s most competitive fleets to the heart of Dún Laoghaire.
Ireland’s challenge will be led by current world number two and Irish Sailing Senior Team athlete Eve McMahon of Howth Yacht Club.
She will be joined by Irish Sailing development athlete Lucy Ives of the host Royal St George Yacht Club along with Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy of the National Yacht Club and Sienna Wright of Howth Yacht Club.
McMahon enters the championship following another outstanding international season. The Howth sailor claimed a medal at each of the three Sailing Grand Slam events she contested, winning gold in Palma, silver in Hyères and bronze on the Olympic waters of Los Angeles in July.
She also secured the Under-23 European title and finished fourth overall at the European Championship. However, her bronze medal at the 2025 World Championship in China may provide the clearest indication of her ability to perform under the pressure of a major international event.
McMahon has already demonstrated strong form on the championship waters this year. At the Coaches’ Invitational Regatta on Dublin Bay in June, she overturned the lead held by American sailor Charlotte Rose to take gold on home waters.
Sienna Wright arrives at the championship following an outstanding performance at the ILCA 6 Youth World Championship in Denmark, where she won silver after a consistently strong week that included four race victories. She also finished second to Annalise Murphy at the ILCA Irish National Championships in July and will be familiar with the demands of Dublin Bay.
Lucy Ives has only recently returned to competition following time away to recover from knee surgery. She finished ninth at the ILCA Irish National Championships in July and will use the coming week to continue her return to international racing. Ives was the leading U19 female at the 2024 UK Open and reached Gold Fleet at both the 2025 Under-21 World and European Championships.
Annalise Murphy is something of a wildcard entry, if wildcards came with Olympic medals. The 36-year-old stepped away from Olympic campaigning five years ago and has since entered a new chapter in her life, including becoming a mother to Juliette eight months ago.
However, sailing has drawn her back. After returning to the ILCA 6 and winning the Irish National Championship on Dublin Bay in July, the possibility of competing at a World Championship on her home waters began to take shape.
The Irish sailors will face a formidable international fleet led by world number one Charlotte Rose of the United States. Rose took gold ahead of Eve McMahon at the French Sailing Grand Slam in Hyères earlier this season, one of several events in which the two sailors have finished closely matched.
Rose also won silver on home waters at the Los Angeles Sailing Grand Slam, finishing one place ahead of McMahon in third. Known for her strength in heavier conditions, she also has recent experience of Dublin Bay, having finished second to McMahon at the Coaches’ Invitational Regatta in June.
Hungary will be hoping to complete a remarkable world championship double following Jonatan Vadnai’s historic ILCA 7 victory in Dún Laoghaire last week. Mária Érdi arrives as the reigning European champion, having also finished fourth at both the Los Angeles and French Sailing Grand Slam events this season. An experienced world champion, she has the ability to make a major impact on Dublin Bay.
Great Britain will also be represented by several leading contenders. Hannah Snellgrove won the Los Angeles Sailing Grand Slam in July, while Daisy Collingsridge and Matilda Nicholls have also shown strong form this season. The British sailors have completed several training blocks in Dún Laoghaire and will arrive with valuable experience of the championship waters.
For the Irish public and media, the championship offers a rare close-up view of elite Olympic sailing and the opportunity to follow four home sailors as they take on the world’s best on Dublin Bay.
James O’Callaghan, Performance Director for Irish Sailing, said, “Last week’s Men’s World Championship in Dún Laoghaire was nothing short of phenomenal. The National Yacht Club and Royal St George Yacht Club did an exceptional job of welcoming the world’s leading sailors, and I have no doubt the Women’s World Championship will be another very special event.
“It was fantastic to see so many young sailors supporting their heroes, both ashore and afloat, during the Men’s event. We hope to welcome even more of them next week. Giving young sailors the opportunity to meet their role models on home waters is hugely important for the future of our sport.
“Our sailors are in good form and the forecast suggests we will see a wide variety of conditions, which is exactly what you want from a World Championship.”
The championship’s Medal Races will be livestreamed through the ILCA YouTube Channel with commentary from international sailor Maurice O’Connell and Beijing Olympian Ciara Peelo.
Con Murphy, Event Chairman said, “The atmosphere in Dún Laoghaire last week was fantastic, and we have no doubt the Women’s World Championship will bring that same excitement to the harbour. We will have 110 athletes at the very top of their sport competing for one of sailing’s greatest prizes: a world title.
“The level of expertise and support provided by the organising committee and our teams of volunteers has been outstanding. We are enormously proud of the work that has gone into delivering these championships and look forward to welcoming the sailors, their teams and supporters to Dún Laoghaire.”
The 2026 ILCA 6 Women’s World Championship runs from 7 – 12 September, with racing beginning Monday 7 September, and is supported by Sport Ireland, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, XOCEAN, the Royal Marine Hotel, KPMG and official apparel partner Rooster.