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Massive fleet of the world's best ILCA sailors ready to race in Hobart

by Jane Austin / RYCT 22 Dec 2025 06:01 GMT 1-8 January 2026
Matt Wearn during pre-Olympic training © Sailing Energy

A massive fleet of ILCA dinghy sailors will assemble in Hobart in just over a week's time to contest the 2026 Oceania and Australian ILCA Open and Youth Championships.

Competitors will compete across the ILCA 4, ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 Classes will be fighting for glory, with Australian sailors also vying for world championship selection and ultimately Olympic representation.

Space will be at a premium at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania with 187 entries received from Tasmania, interstate and overseas with a formidable line-up promising sailing fans some close and exciting sailing on the River Derwent.

Large contingents of sailors from Tasmania, New South Wales, Western Australia Queensland and Victoria will be joined by sailors from the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Hungary and the United States for this highly anticipated event.

The entire Australian Sailing Team will be competing alongside the Australian Sailing Futures Squad and most athletes from the State Sailing Performance Program.

Topping the bill in the ILCA 7 Class is Australia's dual Olympic gold medallist, Matt Wearn, who has set his sights on a hat trick of gold as he prepares for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Joining Wearn on the challenging waters of the River Derwent will be members of the recently announced Australian Sailing Team including Zac Littlewood and Ethan McAullay in the ILCA 7.

The ILCA 7 Class will include Open Men, and Under 19 and Under 21 Divisions.

Competition will also be hot in the ILCA 6 Class with Olympians Zoe Thomson and Mara Stransky and Elyse Ainsworth no strangers to the intensity of big fleet sailing where athleticism, sail trim and overall fitness are put to the test.

Heaping pressure on the Australians will be Emma Plasschaert, a two-time ILCA 6 World Champion from Belgium, who will be looking to master the River Derwent early in the championship.

In the ILCA 4 and ILCA 6 Classes, sailors will compete in the Open Men and Women, Junior Girls and Boys, and Youth Girls and Boys Divisions, with the addition of a Women's Under 21 Division in the ILCA 6 Class.

The 2026 Oceania & Australian Open and Youth Championship serves as the primary ranking event for Australian sailors seeking entry into most 2026 ILCA World Championships including the:

  • 2026 ILCA 4 Youth World Championship
  • 2026 ILCA 6 Youth World Championships
  • 2026 ILCA 6 Women's World Championship
  • 2026 ILCA 6 Men's World Championship
  • 2026 ILCA 7 Men's World Championship.
Putting further pressure on the youth sailors, the Championship will be the selection event for one female and one male ILCA 6 sailor aged under 19 years for the World Sailing Youth World Championships in Vilamoura, Portugal in December 2026 and the 2027 U21 ILCA World Championship in Sandringham, Victoria.

The ILCA 4 Class has the largest number of entries with 75 competitors preparing to race, including the eight-member 2026 Solidarity Squad.

The Solidarity Program focuses on encouraging young female sailors (aged 13 to 16 years) to participate in a world class sailing championship with the aim to 'ignite a passion for the sport' and to create club-based ILCA ambassadors.

The Solidarity sailors, including two from New Zealand, will be supported by Indy Cooper, the Australian Sailing Solidarity appointed coach, who will provide on water coaching plus briefings ashore.

This year's Solidarity event is sponsored by Performance Sailcraft with support from Australian Sailing.

Measurement and registration will take place on the 1st of January followed by a practice race and welcome function on the 2nd at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, with racing scheduled to start on Saturday the 3rd of January 2026.

A maximum of three races will be sailed per day in each Division or Fleet.

The Championship website is at ryct.org.au/2026-ilca-oceania-australian-championship

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