Sea Breeze Delivers Ideal Start to the 2026 ILCA 6 Masters World Championship

2026 ILCA 6 Master Worlds Day 1

The 2026 ILCA 6 Masters World Championship got underway in Athens with two races completed on the opening day, providing competitors across all age divisions with an excellent start to the regatta.

Race 1 was sailed in a light southerly breeze of 5–7 knots from 165–170 degrees over a choppy sea state. Conditions strengthened for Race 2, with winds increasing to 10–12 knots from the same direction, creating exciting downwind surfing opportunities as the afternoon progressed. The varied conditions offered sailors an early test of both patience and speed, setting the stage for a competitive championship week.

Grand Masters competitor Robert Hallawell USA enjoyed the opening day on the water: “Today was absolutely gorgeous! We started after a short delay to allow the wind to fill and settle in. We had two very fair races. The first in a light southerly and the second in a 8-10 knot south easterly wind. Big waves were super fun to surf by the end of the day. The competition is very even which makes staying in front very challenging.”

In the Apprentices division, local sailor Mihalis Koulianos GRE was equally enthusiastic about the conditions and organization: “Wonderful racing conditions today, steady sea breeze, ten to 15 Knots, medium waves. The race committee managed to do the races with no delays, very good organization for today, I scored a second and a third currently on the second place in apprentices category. Every one was happy and enjoyed our wonderful venue. Five more race days to go the most consistent will win.”

Leaders After Two Races

Apprentices Overall

  1. Marcin Rudawski POL – 2 pt
  2. Mihalis Koulianos GRE – 5 pt
  3. Svenja Iris Weger GER – 7 pt

Apprentices Women

  1. Svenja Iris Weger GER – 7 pt
  2. Anna Agrafioti GRE – 12 pt
  3. Triantafyllia Malli GRE – 12 pt

Masters Overall

  1. Jon Emmett GBR – 5 pt
  2. Roberto Giacalone ITA – 5 pt
  3. Elisa Boschin ITA – 8 pt

Masters Women

  1. Elisa Boschin ITA – 8 pt
  2. Maria Vlachou GRE – 12 pt
  3. Verónica Jordana ARG – 26 pt

Grand Masters Overall

  1. Bruce Savage AUS – 3 pt
  2. Robert Hallawell USA – 8 pt
  3. Tomas Hansson SWE – 10 pt

Grand Masters Women

  1. Jenny Danks AUS – 20 pt
  2. Alexandra Behrens GER – 33 pt
  3. Helene Viazzo FRA – 33 pt

Great Grand Masters Overall

  1. Kim Tan NED – 4 pt
  2. Timothy Woodford CAN – 9 pt
  3. Bruce Martinson USA – 16 pt

Great Grand Masters Women

  1. Lyndall Patterson AUS – 30 pt

Legends

  1. Miguel Alvarez ESP – 3 pt
  2. William Symes USA – 4 pt
  3. Ian Rawet GBR – 12 pt

Super Legends

  1. Kerry Waraker AUS – 2 pt
  2. Peter Craig AUS – 4 pt
  3. Claude Georges Tigier FRA – 7 pt

With five race days remaining, the championship remains wide open across all divisions as sailors continue their battle for world championship honours on the waters of Athens. Two races are scheduled for tomorrow, with the first warning signal at 13:00.

The event is organised by the Nautical Club of Kalamaki and the ILCA Class Association, in collaboration with the Hellenic Sailing Federation, and sponsored by ONEX Shipyards & Technologies, Chery Spanos SA, ANMA, Shell, Arbitrage, Colliers, Paralos, Gaviotis Travel, ΒΙΚΟΣ, Zhik, ODS, S&M, Marinepool, NOTOS, ACT, In The Loop, Amvrosia, and Lavdas.

Racing continues through June 7, with a Reserve/Rest Day scheduled for June 4.

Further information, results, photos and videos are available on the official event website.

Follow the ILCA website and social media channels for daily reports and updates from Athens.

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Report by Agustín Argüelles – ILCA | Photos by Harris Gkaniatsas – Nautical Club of Kalamaki.

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