2026 ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship kicks off in Ireland

141 top sailors representing 45 countries have entered, including reigning Olympic and Oceanian champion Matt Wearn of Australia, reigning World champion Willem Wiersema of the Netherlands, reigning European champion Pavlos Kontides of Cyprus, reigning South American champion Francisco Guaragna of Argentina, and reigning North American champion Daniel Escudero of the United States.

Defending champion Willem Wiersema described the conditions awaiting sailors in Dublin Bay: “We’re in Dun Laoghaire — it’s in Dublin Bay, so it’s quite a big bay. We’ve trained there for a week with some offshore winds. It was pretty shifty, with a lot of pressure differences, so it’s made for tricky racing for sure. You’ve got to keep your eyes out and be at your best. It’s fierce competition. You need to nail everything to make a result stick. It’s both a physical and a tactical game, with a lot of boats and tight gaps.”

German sailor Philipp Buhl reflected on his season and the strength of the fleet: “It’s the pinnacle event of the year, the Worlds as usual, and we’ve had a tough season. I had a bit of a compromised season, struggling financially a little, and I’ve been in the game for many, many years. Still, I’m really motivated and keen to challenge the benchmark sailors in the class. I think it’s pretty obvious that Matt Wearn is number one, and maybe Micky Beckett and Elliot Hanson are number two and three at the moment, with Pavlos right in the mix. I’m doing an okay job and trying to chase them a little.

“The thing is, in this class — being a one-design class with this amazing setup we have again this year at the World Championships, where every competitor gets a brand-new, identical boat — it’s so simple and so amazing. Everybody is on exactly the same equipment, which means even Matt Wearn, having won every event he’s competed in this year, still needs to show up and deliver in every single race, over the whole six days.”

All ILCA regions are represented at this World Championship, with numerous Olympic medalists and World champions among the serious contenders – See: From Dublin Bay’s Startline: Who to Watch at the 2026 ILCA 7 Men’s Worlds

The National Yacht Club and Royal St George Yacht Club worked closely together to prepare the event and welcome the sailors — the first time in history that Dublin Bay has hosted an Olympic-class World Championship.

Racing runs from Tuesday 25 to Sunday 30 August. For further information, visit the event website.

Text and images courtesy of Agustin Argulles – ILCA Sailing and Jordan Roberts – Down Under Sail.