Vadnai stuns for historic Hungary win at ILCA 7 Worlds

Thomas Saunders led New Zealand’s charge into the world championship’s top fleet in Dún Laoghaire, but a dramatic final day belonged to first-time champion Jonatán Vadnai.

A first title for Hungary

Jonatán Vadnai has become the first Hungarian sailor to win the ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship, sealing the title on the final day of racing off Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, on August 30. Vadnai sailed a 4-1 in the two Final Series races to finish on 47 points, giving Hungary its first-ever medal in the event.

The result capped a chaotic final 24 hours. Vadnai had slipped to fifth overnight in the Elimination Series before halved points reset the top 10 for a two race Final Series decider. “I just went for it, and I’m so happy I managed to do it,” he said afterwards.

Matt Wearn (AUS), the reigning Olympic champion from Tokyo and Paris, produced the standout sailing of the day, winning the first Final Series race and finishing second in the next to climb from ninth overnight into Silver, his seventh ILCA 7 Worlds medal. Mickey Beckett (GBR) took Bronze on a 7-5, level with Wearn on 48 points. Overnight leader Elliot Hanson (GBR) finished fifth after an 8-10, tied on 49 points with Lorenzo Chiavarini (ITA).

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New Zealand’s week in Dublin Bay

Five New Zealanders contested the championship. The best placed was Thomas Saunders, who finished 12th overall in the Gold fleet on 117 net points. Saunders won this same world title in 2021, and arrived in Dún Laoghaire as one of only four sailors on the startline with a previous ILCA 7 world crown to their name, alongside Wearn, Willem Wiersema (NED) and Pavlos Kontides (CYP).

George Gautrey finished 25th in the Gold fleet. Gautrey had been tipped as a name to watch heading into the regatta, having led the Europeans field before the final day in May and won the opening race of the San Pedro Grand Slam leg in July. Caleb Armit was 33rd in the Gold fleet, with George Pilkington 83rd and Zach Stibbe 111th in the lower fleets. None of the New Zealand contingent progressed through to the 10-sailor Final Series.

How the fleet got there

Qualifying opened with a three-race day in Dublin Bay before wrapping up after five races, with Ireland’s Finn Lynch leading on home water. The fleet then split into Gold, Silver and Bronze divisions for an eleven-race Elimination Series to determine the top 10 finalists.

That series produced its own reversal on the final day of qualifying. Racing was delayed more than three hours ashore for lack of wind before an unstable 6 to 9 knot breeze allowed two races to be completed. Elliot Hanson moved from outside the top three into the overnight lead, while Ryan Lo (SGP), who had led into the day, dropped to second. Tonči Stipanović (CRO), a two-time Olympic silver medallist, climbed back into medal contention in fourth. “So nice to be back with these guys, fighting for a medal tomorrow,” he said.

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Lynch, the home favourite, held on for 10th and a place in the Final Series, backed throughout the week by a five-strong Irish team.

A new way to start a race

The championship also carried significance beyond the results sheet. It was the first ILCA World Championship at which the Vakaros RaceSense electronic starting system was used, with every boat required to carry a Vakaros Atlas 2 unit for the event. The system pairs fixed units at each end of the startline with an onboard unit on every boat, allowing race officials to identify and recall individual boats that start early rather than calling a general recall for the whole fleet. San Pedro had already served as the first major ILCA implementation of the system, in July.

The event was organised by the National Yacht Club and Royal St George Yacht Club, with support from Sport Ireland and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.