The International Laser Class Association has awarded the right to conduct the 2027 ILCA Under-21 World Championships to ILCA Vic in Melbourne, Australia.  

The "2027 Performance Sailcraft ILCA Under 21 World Championships" will take place between the 10th and 17th Jan 2027 at the Sandringham Yacht Club. The event follows the Olympics format with men sailing the ILCA 7 class and women the ILCA 6 class.  

Up to 200 sailors are expected to compete with many aspiring to represent their countries at the 2028 and/or 2032 Olympics. 

President of the class association, ILCAVic, John d'Helin, has expressed delight at securing the event for Melbourne in conjunction with major Sponsors Performance Sailcraft. "The Under 21 Worlds will provide another opportunity for the best sailors to come to Melbourne and experience the world class sailing conditions and race organisation we have available on Port Phillip. It’s a great follow on from the world championships we ran in 2020 at the same venue. Seeing these young athletes in action will be a wonderful spectacle and I am sure Australians from all States will seize the opportunity to qualify for the event”.

Performance Sailcraft CEO, Nick Ogden noted Sandringham will also host the Victorian State and the Australian & Oceania Championships in the weeks preceding the Under 21 Worlds. Together with Sail Melbourne, this provides sailors from around the world with a program of events across the southern hemisphere summer, encouraging them and their supporters to travel to Melbourne and stay for an extended period.

"We are very proud to be a part of a world championship raising the next generation of Olympic-hopeful sailors. As the sole Australian-authorised ILCA builder we have completed new production facilities in Morisset, New South Wales, to provide a plentiful supply of new ILCAs. We look forward to supporting young athletes across the globe with our Olympic-class single-handed racing dinghies, as well as on-site at each of the regattas, to ensure sailors are equipped with all of their sailing requirements throughout the world championships".

We are thrilled to bring the ILCA Under-21 World Championship to Australia in 2027,” said ILCA Field Operations Officer, Andrus Poksi. “Sandringham offers an ideal venue for sailors to challenge themselves and experience world-class competition in an inspiring location. The event will bring together the world's top Under-21 sailors to compete at one of the premier sailing destinations in the Southern Hemisphere.

Set against the stunning backdrop of Sandringham’s pristine waters and the iconic Australian coastline, the 2027 Performance Sailcraft ILCA Under-21 Worlds will provide a unique platform for young athletes to showcase their skills and compete at the highest level. The event is set to attract top-tier competitors from across the globe, all vying for the coveted world championship title”.

Sandringham Yacht Club Commodore, Mark Welsh, shared that he is excited to have the ILCA class returning to SYC for another World Championship event. “With our world class race management team and facilities, we are thrilled to be hosting the 2027 Performance Sailcraft ILCA Under-21 World Championships along with other ILCA events including the State Championships in November 2026 and the Nationals preceding the Under-21 Worlds. This will be an incredible opportunity for many up and coming young ILCA sailors to participate in a major event here at SYC .”

A number of sailors have asked how spots are allocated for the World Championships. Please see: https://events.ilcasailing.org/regattauploads/Info/ILCA_Initial_Entry_Allocations.pdf

The ranking of Australian sailors is based on their results at nominated qualifying regattas. These are set out on the Aus ILCA website at: https://ilca.au/worlds-qualification/

In simple terms, the more members the ILCA Australian District Associations have, the greater number of entries Australians we will receive for each ILCA World Championship.

The sailors must also participate in the relevant Qualifying Event to determine their ranking amongst the Australian sailors wanting to enter.

A number of ILCA sailors question why they should join their local ILCA Association but this is one of the many reasons, to ensure that as many of our sailors can enter the world events, if you haven’t renewed your membership please do it today at:

• Victoria: Membership - Victorian ILCA Class Association
• NSW/ACT: ILCA NSW/ACT Membership 2024-25
• Queensland: Membership - ILCA Queensland
• Western Australia: Membership - ILCAWA
• South Australia: Membership - ILCA South Australia
• Northern Territory: Membership - ILCA NT
• Tasmania: TAS ILCA 2024-25 Season Membership - Tasmanian ILCA

Words by: James Mitchell

Photo by: ProwMedia