A high-calibre competition is set to line up today for the ILCA 6 World Championship in Kemah, Texas. Six Australian sailors are ready for action as they take on the 86 competitors over the next six days of racing. 

It’s a loaded fleet with all three Tokyo medallists back in the game, with Anne Marie Rindom (DEN), Josefin Olsson (SWE) and Marit Bouwmeester (NED) all returning in a campaign towards Paris 2024. Alongside the Olympic medallists are the 2021 World Championship podium ready to battle it out on Galveston Bay, with Belgian sailor Emma Plasschaert here to defend her title together with 2021 podium finishers Agata Barwińska (POL) and Viktorija Andrulyte (LTU). 

Following a preparation camp in Brisbane, the Australian Sailing ILCA6 Squad has been in Texas for over a week now as they prepare for racing in local conditions. National co-coach Ben Walkemeyer will support the squad over the regatta and agrees the competition is looking tough but is confident the squad is ready to perform. 

Australian Sailing ILCA 6 Squad in Limited Edition Zhik Pink Range

“The competition is looking pretty big,” Walkemeyer examined, “This is really the first full Worlds fleet with all the big players back after the Tokyo Olympics since before the COVID disruptions. 

“It’s an exciting one for our squad, and the girls are in a really good place going into this regatta where they’ve put in a lot of hard work this year and broken through on a lot of levels, so it’s exciting for them to see what they can deliver in the fleet here.”

The Australian sailors echoed their coaches’ sentiments, with WAIS athlete Zoe Thomson sharing, “I can’t wait to get out and race. It will be six days of tough racing, but that’s exactly what we’ve prepared for. It feels like this is the best our team has worked together, so it is exciting to now go out to individually perform.”

Fellow Western Australian Elyse Ainsworth added, “This is a very stacked event, and I can’t think of any big names that are missing. However, the vibes are good, and I’m just eager to get racing and have some fun.”

The fleet will be split into two for the first three days of racing, followed by a Gold and Silver fleet for the Final series. Twelve races are scheduled to take place over the championship. 

Racing is expected to kick off at 12:00 local time, and Australian Sailing Squad athlete Casey Imeneo put it best, “It’s time to set out and take it on."

Results will be on the official website here

Australian Sailing Team (AST), Australian Sailing Squad (ASS), Australian Sailing Futures and other Australian (AUS) entries:

ILCA 6 (85 Boats) 
Mara Stransky (AST) 
Elyse Ainsworth (ASS)
Casey Imeneo (ASS)
Zoe Thomson (ASS) 
Evie Saunders (ASF) 
Sylvie Stannage (AUS) 

Words: Lisa Darmanin