Charlotte Rose crowned 2026 ILCA 6 Women's world champion

It’s a historic result — Rose becomes only the third American sailor to win the title, following Paige Railey (USA) in 2005. She’s also the first non-European winner in 20 years, since Lijia Xu (CHN) claimed the title in 2006, breaking a European hold on the championship that had lasted two decades.

“It’s unbelievable — I’m just really, really proud of how I did this week, and to put it all together at the end means so much. I’m so happy right now. It shows the process is working, and we’re still two years out from the Games, so I’m not letting off the gas — I’m going to keep going until 2028, and the gold medal is the goal. I’m really happy to come away with a win right now, and tomorrow I’m going to wake up and keep doing the same thing: keep working hard in practice, keep working hard in the gym, and just keep putting the hammer down.”

“It really means a lot — I’m 26 now, and I started sailing the ILCA when I was 13, so it’s been 13 years. It’s really cool to see the upcoming sailors, not only in Ireland (IRL) but across the world, and especially in the US (USA), seeing more female sailors coming up too — it’s great for the sport, and I’m glad I can be a role model for them. One thing I want to tell them is to never give up, and no one can tell you that you can’t do something. I’m really proud of that.”

“Tonight, I’ll probably have a Guinness with all my girlfriends, go out to dinner, and get some sleep — I could sleep a good ten hours right now. Then it’s home to see my family and my dog — I know they’ll be ecstatic to see me. LA 2028 is the goal, and getting a gold medal is the goal, so I’m just going to keep pushing and see how it goes in the next few years.”

Emma Plasschaert (BEL) takes Silver after a 6-2 today, and Anna Munch (DEN) completes the podium with Bronze, scoring 5-4.

Emma reflected on a bittersweet but historic Silver: “I think it’s a bit double, to be honest. I’m obviously very happy to come away with a Silver medal — it’s one I haven’t had yet, so that’s exciting, I can collect the full set now. But there was obviously an opportunity today, and it was tricky racing — sometimes it falls one way, sometimes another. I think I did well to get back into it in the second Final Series race, and Silver it is, so I’m pretty happy. It’s actually been quite cool here — the people have really rallied behind it. They’re into it, and people in town know what’s happening. I feel like, often at sailing events, we’re a little bit isolated from the public, but here you get into a taxi on the way to the event and the driver says, ‘Oh, Finland (FIN) is doing great at the Worlds.’ It’s just nice to see people rallying behind it — they’ve obviously got some local heroes too, which is nice for them. Overall, it’s just been a very pleasant experience coming here.

“The next goal is obviously country qualification in Fortaleza — I think that’s the biggest one of the quad so far, so the focus will be on that. There’ll be a little bit of R&R before we get back into it, which will be nice, and then it’s just about chipping away, getting on with it and continuing the work. We’re halfway through the campaign now, so it should be good.”

Anna was still processing her first-ever Worlds medal: “It still hasn’t really sunk in — I’m just so, so happy. It’s my first medal at a Worlds, and it means so much. I can’t even describe it, it’s just an amazing feeling. Charlotte was really dominant this week, and I definitely think we found the right World Champion at this event. I’m so happy for her, she did an amazing job. I think all the girls really pushed it too — you can feel that this class is still developing and everyone’s raising the bar, which is amazing.

“Today was like playing chess with a heart rate of 200. I definitely need a beer now and some rest. It’s been a long season, but what an ending to it. I’m looking forward to seeing my family and giving them a big hug when I get back home.”

Final Results – 2026 ILCA 6 Women’s Worlds

1. Charlotte Rose (USA) – 23 pt
2. Emma Plasschaert (BEL) – 28 pt
3. Anna Munch (DEN) – 34 pt
4. Maria Erdi (HUN) – 38 pt
5. Matilda Nicholls (GBR) – 39 pt
6. Maxime Jonker (NED) – 42 pt
7. Eve McMahon (IRL) – 51 pt
8. Hannah Snellgrove (GBR) – 53 pt
9. Louise Cervera (FRA) – 56 pt
10. Agata Barwińska (POL) – 58 pt

Text courtesy of Agustín Argüelles – ILCA, images courtesy of Jordan Roberts – Down Under Sail. Read more at ILCA Sailing.