News

31

January 2024

Australia's Matt Wearn claims back-to-back ILCA 7 World Championships

Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist sealed the win in the ILCA 7 World Championship at Adelaide Sailing Club in emphatic style, by winning the medal race.

Matt Wearn wins the 2024 ILCA 7 Men World Championship (c) Jack Fletcher / Down Under Sail
Matt Wearn wins the 2024 ILCA 7 Men World Championship (c) Jack Fletcher / Down Under Sail

The home nation sailor, who already had an 8-point lead going into the final day, sailed the perfect medal race, leading from start to finish.

"It's always pretty surreal this soon after the race, but I certainly got a few tingles there during the race as well, especially when I rounded the top mark in first," said Wearn after final race.

"I figured I obviously couldn't go into cruise control, but the job was almost half done then.

"It's surreal, to win a World Championship in itself is incredible, but to do it back-to-back and in the Olympic year as well makes it feel even more special.

"There's definitely a little bit more emotion in it being in Adelaide and in Australia, not many people can say they've had a home World Championship and this is probably as close as I'm gonna get to it, so it feels incredible."

The final two days offered up challenging conditions, with high winds and big waves. Norway’s Hermann Tomasgaard and Great Britain’s Michael Beckett were left to battle it out for silver, with Tomasgaard holding off Beckett.

"It's quite an unforgiving race, there's absolutely no space, no one's giving any quarter, but it's good fun to do because it's something different.", said Beckett.

Top Ten Results:

  1. Matt Wearn (AUS) 24pts
  2. Hermann Tomasgaard (NOR) 34 pts
  3. Michael Beckett (GBR) 41 pts
  4. Philipp Buhl (GER) 65 pts
  5. Thomas Saunders (NZL) 71 pts
  6. Pavlos Kontides (CYP) 79 pts
  7. Jean‑Baptiste Bernaz (FRA) 86 pts
  8. Filip Jurišic (CRO) 91 pts
  9. Finn Lynch (IRL) 95 pts
  10. Luke Elliott (AUS) 101 pts
Mark Jardine

Mark has been managing sailing websites since 1996, always being at the forefront of technology, and now manages the combined Sail-World.com and YachtsandYachting.com network. He has covered events such as the International Moth World Championship and Cowes Week, focusing on the sailors' thoughts and words. Mark has been European Champion in the Farr 30 & J/24 class and has won numerous UK titles, and competes regularly in local and national events in dinghies and sportsboats.