Year 12 Orewa College student Liam Dimock records top results in major ILCA 7 sailing regattas across Australia and New Zealand in 2026.

Youngest sailor in several elite fleets records strong results against Olympians and world champions

Orewa College Year 12 student Liam Dimock has produced a remarkable 2026 sailing season in the ILCA 7 Olympic class, competing against some of the world’s most experienced sailors.

The ILCA 7 is the Olympic men’s single handed dinghy class and is typically sailed by senior and professional athletes. While maintaining his learning at school, Liam has raced consistently in top international fleets across major regattas in Australia and New Zealand.

At the 2026 Australian and Oceania ILCA Championships, Liam finished fourth in the Under 19 division and 25th overall in a fleet of 40 sailors. He was the youngest competitor in the ILCA 7 fleet and raced alongside elite sailors including Australian Olympic gold medallist Matt Wearn.

He followed this with another strong result at the 2026 New Zealand ILCA National Championships, placing third in the Under 21 division and finishing 15th overall from a fleet of 39 sailors. The event featured international Olympians and several sailors ranked among the world’s top ten from the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

On 26 January, Liam won the ILCA 7 fleet at the Auckland Anniversary Regatta, finishing first overall in a highly competitive senior field.

More recently, he placed seventh overall at the 2026 Yachting New Zealand Oceanbridge Regatta, again racing in a world class ILCA 7 fleet that included Olympians and world champions such as British sailor Micky Beckett. Liam was once again the youngest sailor competing.

Across these events, Liam has not only performed strongly within youth divisions but has also matched experienced international sailors in the Olympic class fleet, highlighting the level he is already competing at.

Photo credit: Insight Media, Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania