My First Full Season in the ILCA 7
By Charles Allen Toyn
This year marked my first full season sailing in the ILCA 7 Men’s Olympic rig, meaning I’ve now progressed through all three ILCA classes. As I’ve been learning the ILCA 7, I wanted to gain experience racing in fleets I was previously too lightweight to compete in.
During this gap year after finishing school, I decided to include as many sailing events as possible and travel through the UK to visit family on my father’s side, many of whom I hadn’t seen since 2014. My main goal was to build senior fleet experience ahead of the 2026 Australian and Oceania ILCA Championships in Hobart, which will be my first Nationals in the ILCA 7 and my last as a U21 sailor.
The first event of the trip was Kiel Week, where I competed in both the ILCA 7 and ILCA 6 (Open) fleets. The opening four days were in the ILCA 7, and we spent two long (8+ hour) days on the water in very light winds for qualifying. Unfortunately, I missed the first day after falling ill shortly after arriving and wasn’t in a good state to race. I managed to get back out for the final day in the ILCA 7, where we completed one race in top-end conditions before racing was called off because the committee boat couldn’t hold its anchor in the strong breeze.
The second half of Kiel Week was in the ILCA 6. The first day of qualifying brought two light-wind races, while the final day featured a strong offshore breeze. Despite a capsize and a few small unforced errors, I managed solid top-10 to top-15 finishes to secure a place in the Gold Fleet. Finals in the ILCA 6 were two physically demanding days of big winds and waves. After already completing the ILCA 7 regatta, fatigue had set in, so I focused on using the last two days to practise boat handling and tactics while sailing tired, valuable experience in itself.
After some time travelling around the UK and visiting family, I headed to the Isle of Wight for Cowes Week. This was a great opportunity to meet new sailors and experience yacht racing on the Solent, gaining valuable experience in strong tides and building new sailing connections in the UK.
Following a short break from ILCA sailing, the ILCA UK Nationals was the perfect event to refamiliarise myself with the boat ahead of the upcoming U21 Worlds in Ireland. Despite several delays and two days cancelled due to light winds, we managed to get some quality racing over the final two days, a great tune-up event before Worlds.
The final event of the trip was the ILCA U21 World Championships in Ireland. During training beforehand, I was able to rest and reset after the UK Nationals, sailing mostly in light winds. However, once racing began, a low-pressure system moved in, bringing strong winds and low temperatures. Throughout the regatta, the breeze stayed around 20 knots, gradually shifting from southeast (onshore) to southwest (offshore), becoming increasingly unpredictable as the event went on.
Being under the optimal weight at the start of the trip made the strong conditions particularly challenging. I had to work hard to keep the boat fast upwind and under control downwind. The last few days were especially tough without an on-water coach, but fortunately, some friends I met at the UK Nationals were able to give me water support, which really helped take the pressure off.
Despite being fatigued in the second half of the regatta, I was still able to gain invaluable experience. Racing in the Silver Fleet meant close competition throughout, allowing me to refine my boat handling and tactics in congested areas of the racecourse such as start lines and mark roundings.
Since returning to Perth, I’ve identified key areas to improve, particularly boat speed and strong-wind downwinds, compared to the international fleet. I’m now focused on building these strengths before heading into the upcoming Australian season.
Thank you to everyone who supported me on this journey. This trip gave me a new perspective on how to approach the next few years of both my sailing and personal development. Without your support, I would have missed an incredible opportunity to experience the standard of the senior ILCA fleet and to understand exactly where I need to grow to compete at that level in the future.
Charles Allen Toyn 