From Dublin Bay's Startline: Who to Watch at the 2026 ILCA 7 Men's Worlds
by Agustín Argüelles 21 Aug 20:10 BST
23-30 August 2026
Matt Wearn (AUS) © World Sailing / Jean-Louis Carli
Matt Wearn AUS arrives in Dun Laoghaire on a perfect season, Willem Wiersema NED arrives as the defending champion, and 141 sailors from 45 nations arrive ready to make sure neither of them has it easy.
The 2026 ILCA 7 Men's Worlds gets under way this weekend off the National Yacht Club and Royal St George Yacht Club, with the United States fielding the largest team at 10 sailors and Australia, Spain, Great Britain and Italy close behind on 9 each.
All ILCA regions will be represented, with sailors coming from Africa, Asia, Central & South America, Europe, North America, Oceania and the Rest of the World — a reflection of the ILCA 7's status as one of the most universal classes in the sport.
The venue has been building toward this for weeks — read The Countdown is On for the ILCA Olympic Classes in Dún Laoghaire. On the water, the story is just as compelling: Matt Wearn arrives a clear step ahead of the fleet on current form — but behind him, a tightly bunched group of Olympic medallists, past World Champions and rising talents will all be out to challenge him for the title.
Olympic medallists
The headline name is Matt Wearn AUS, winner of the last two Olympic golds (Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024). He's joined by two of the most decorated runners-up in the class's history: Pavlos Kontides CYP, a two-time Olympic silver medallist (London 2012, Paris 2024) and Cyprus's only Olympic medallist of any kind, and Tonci Stipanovic CRO, also a two-time Olympic silver medallist (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020). Between them, the trio has taken 6 of the last 12 Olympic ILCA 7 medals across the last four Games — a remarkable concentration of talent on one start line.
2026 Grand Slam season
The 2026 Grand Slam series has been the clearest form guide heading into Dun Laoghaire, and Wearn has been utterly dominant:
- Palma de Mallorca: 1st Matt Wearn AUS, 2nd Elliot Hanson GBR, 3rd Michael Beckett GBR
- Hyères: 1st Matt Wearn AUS, 2nd Michael Beckett GBR, 3rd Elliot Hanson GBR
- San Pedro: 1st Matt Wearn AUS, 2nd Pavlos Kontides CYP, 3rd Michael Beckett GBR
Three wins from three starts makes Wearn the clear favourite on current form, but Michael Beckett's GBR podium finish in all three legs — and his reputation as a five-time Palma champion in past years — marks him out as the sailor with the strongest case to challenge for the title. Right behind him is Elliot Hanson GBR, with two Grand Slam podiums of his own (silver at Palma, bronze at Hyères) — and, notably, he's the sailor who already has a result on the actual Worlds venue: he won the pre-event Coaches Invitational Regatta in Dun Laoghaire in June, edging Kontides into second, with Stipanovic and Finn Lynch IRL tying on points for third. George Gautrey NZL is another name on the rise: he led the Europeans field before the final day and won the opening race at San Pedro.
2026 Europeans
Last May in Kaštela, Croatia, Pavlos Kontides CYP won his third European title, with Philipp Buhl GER taking silver and local sailor Filip Jurišic CRO claiming bronze on home waters. Stipanovic, back in the class for the event after time away, was also on the startline.
2025 Worlds
Wearn skipped last year's Worlds in Qingdao to rest after his Paris gold. In his absence, Willem Wiersema NED claimed his first world title, edging out Pavlos Kontides CYP (silver) and Zachary Littlewood AUS (bronze) on the final day. Wiersema arrives in Dun Laoghaire as the defending champion, taking his title to a new venue for the first time.
Previous World Titles
Wiersema's win in Qingdao added his name to an exclusive list — and four former world champions from that list are on the startline in Dun Laoghaire this week. Matt Wearn AUS back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024 are the most recent before Wiersema's breakthrough, but the roll of honour runs deeper: Thomas Saunders NZL won in 2021, Philip Buhl GER in 2020, and Pavlos Kontides CYP is himself a two-time world champion, from 2017 and 2018. Buhl in particular remains a factor — his silver at this year's Europeans is a reminder that a world title from 2020 hasn't dulled with time.
- Matt Wearn AUS — 2023, 2024
- Thomas Saunders NZL — 2021
- Philip Buhl GER — 2020
- Pavlos Kontides CYP — 2017, 2018
Irish interest
Finn Lynch IRL is Ireland's flagbearer and in excellent recent form — top 10 at the Europeans, 15th at the 2025 Worlds, 10th at Paris 2024, and fourth at the pre-Worlds Coaches Invitational in June, level on points with Olympic medallist Tonci Stipanovic. He'll be backed by a full home team: Ewan McMahon, Fiachra McDonnell, Tom Coulter, Bobby Driscoll and Roger Craig.
Follow the action
These are the storylines shaping the build-up, but Dun Laoghaire's mix of tide, chop and shifting breeze off Dublin Bay has a habit of throwing up its own surprises — with a fleet this size, the real list of contenders is wider than any preview can capture.
For further information about the event and to follow the action daily, visit the event website at 2026ilca7men.ilca-worlds.org
The event is organised by National Yacht Club and Royal St George Yacht Club, in conjunction with ILCA. It is supported by premium sponsors Sport Ireland and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, and associate sponsors Rooster, The Royal Marine Hotel, XOCEAN, and KPMG.