NZL Sailing Team: Greta Pilkington agonisingly short of medal series - ILCA 6 Worlds - Day 5
by Eduan Roos/Yachting NZ 13 Sep 00:25 UTC
Greta Pilkington (NZL) exits a roll tack - Day 5 - ILCA 6 Worlds - Dublin Bay - September 11, 2026 © Jordan Roberts / Down Under Sail
Greta Pilkington’s bid for an ILCA 6 World Championship medal has ended, with the New Zealander narrowly missing the top-10 cut for the final series in Dublin Bay.
[S-WNZ: After the final day of racing, she placed a creditable 13th place overall.]
Pilkington, who climbed to fifth overall on the penultimate day of gold-fleet racing, was unable to replicate that form in the fleet’s only completed race overnight, finishing 39th to slip to 11th overall — just one place outside the top 10 who advance to the medal showdown.
The Aucklander will now have one final opportunity to secure 11th overall when the remaining sailors complete one more elimination series race.
It marks a frustrating end to what has nevertheless been an impressive World Championship campaign for Pilkington, who made her Olympic debut in Marseille in 2024.
The 2026 Worlds had already produced arguably her strongest performance on the international stage, with Pilkington posting five consecutive top-10 finishes during qualification before an outstanding second day in the gold fleet lifted her into fifth overall and within striking distance of the leaders.
But with the breeze proving notoriously difficult in Dublin Bay, Pilkington was unable to hold her position on a day when the gold fleet completed just one race.
Racing began in 6-9 knots with flat water, before the breeze died and shifted, forcing a postponement of more than three hours. A second race was eventually started but abandoned when the wind dropped to around one knot.
British sailor Matilda Nicholls won the lone gold fleet race to move from 10th to fifth overall, while reigning champion Louise Cervera produced the comeback of the day, jumping from 18th into the top 10 with a fourth-place finish.
The top 10 will contest the final series for the medals, with their points halved heading into the two-race showdown.
Latest results and standings: click here