Eve McMahon pleased by top-10 finishes, Annalise Murphy happy to be back at World Championships

EVE MCMAHON HAS got off to a steady start at the ILCA 6 Women's World Championships in Dún Laoghaire. The 2025 bronze medallist carded three top-10 finishes to sit 12th overall among the 110 entrants after day one. With the fleet divided in two, McMahon began with a sixth-place finish in the 55-strong blue fleet before improving to fourth. A tough start to the final race of the day forced her to battle her way through traffic to cross in eighth. Each sailor gets one discard, which is currently McMahon's eighth place, leaving her with a nett score of 10. That's seven points behind early pace-setters, America's 2024 silver medallist Charlotte Rose and Belgian two-time world champion Emma Plasschaert, who are both strong-wind specialists. Rose holds first place on countback. 'It was a really tricky day out there, but I'm happy with my results,' said McMahon. 'It was a consistent start to the week, which is what I was looking for. 'It's a game of averages, so I just want to stay consistent and keep my points as low as possible. I think I managed to do that. 'It's incredible to have a World Championship at home. It's definitely a huge advantage on land and it has been a long time since my family and friends have been able to watch me sail. I'm really excited to be representing Ireland here in Ireland.' Advertisement On her return to international sailing after a five-year break, 2016 Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy ranks 25th overall. Annalise Murphy finishing the second race. Dan Clohessy / INPHO Dan Clohessy / INPHO / INPHO The recently crowned national champion posted 11th-place finishes in the opening races before coming 14th in today's finale. 'It was a tough day out there,' said Murphy. 'I struggled to get off the start line in the first two races, so it was a battle to work my way back through the fleet. 'I'm in the mix, though. My biggest concern was that I might be battling at the back, but that definitely wasn't the case. 'I'm having great fun, as much as you can in those conditions! The wind and the shifts made it very physically demanding and I'm still a little rusty, but I really enjoyed it.' Youth world champion Sienna Wright is 49th. The 17-year-old Howth YC sailor recorded finishes of 35th, 15th, and 24th. In her first world championship, Irish Development sailor Lucy Ives is 87th after finishes of 38th, 42nd, and 50th. Stronger winds are forecast for Tuesday's second and final day of the preliminary series before the fleet splits for gold fleet racing on Wednesday. The championship concludes on Saturday with the medal series deciding the final podium positions.