The 2026 ILCA 6 Women's World Championship has officially gotten underway in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin, bringing together top female dinghy sailors to compete on Dublin Bay through 12 September. Co-hosted by the National Yacht Club and the Royal St George Yacht Club, the Olympic-class regatta features 110 competitors representing 45 nations.

The home challenge is led by world number two Eve McMahon of Howth Yacht Club, who made history in 2025 by winning Ireland's first senior ILCA 6 World Championship medal in Qingdao, China. McMahon enters the tournament following a strong 2026 season that saw her claim victory at the Princess Sofia Trophy in Palma, a silver medal in Hyères, and an Under-23 European title.

Joining McMahon in the Irish contingent is Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy, who returns to elite international competition on the waters where she learned to sail. The Irish entry is completed by emerging talents Lucy Ives and Sienna Wright, who will race alongside a world-class fleet that includes reigning French world champion Louise Cervera, American world number one Charlotte Rose, and Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Line Flem Høst of Norway.

Organisers highlighted that the championship represents a significant milestone for Irish sailing, marking the first time the country has hosted a women's Olympic-class world championship. The event concludes a major month of international sailing in Dún Laoghaire, which also staged the ILCA 7 Men's World Championship in late August.