NZL Sailing Team: Three Kiwis into Gold fleet - ILCA 7 Worlds - Day 2
by Eduan Roos/Yachting New Zealand 27 Aug 10:50 BST
Tom Saunders (NZL) - 2026 ILCA 7 Men's World Championship in Dublin Bay - Day 2, August 26, 2026 © Jordan Roberts / Down Under Sail
Three New Zealand sailors have booked their places in the Gold fleet after a strong second day of qualifying at the 2026 ILCA 7 Men's World Championship in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland.
Tom Saunders backed up his Day 1 race win with a ninth and a sixth last night (NZ time), moving up three places to 16th overall and comfortably inside the gold-fleet cut-off.
George Gautrey climbed 10 places to 21st after a fourth and an eighth put him firmly among the leading pack heading into the elimination series, while the day's biggest mover was Caleb Armit, who more halved his overall ranking with a third and a fifth — jumping from 78th on Day 1 to 39th, and into the eliminations series.
George Pilkington (92nd) and Zach Tibbe (104th) finished the qualifying series in the silver fleet and will continue racing there.
Two races were sailed on Day 2, in conditions that started around 11 knots with some swell before easing to 7–9 knots.
Ireland's Finn Lynch has retained the overall lead on nine points, ahead of Germany's Ole Schweckendiek (12) and Hungary's Jonatán Vadnai (14).
Racing continues tonight with the first two races of the elimination series, sailors split across gold, silver and bronze fleets. First warning signal is 11pm (NZ time).
Latest results and standings www.sailwave.com/results/2026_ILCA_Men_Worlds.htm