World Championship Results Signal Growing Momentum Toward LA28
Charlotte Rose wins ILCA 6 World Championship and Noah Lyons claims iQFOiL Silver as America One Racing athletes continue to raise the bar on the road to Los Angeles
America One Racing athletes delivered a standout week on the international stage, led by Charlotte Rose’s Gold at the 2026 ILCA 6 Women’s World Championship in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, and Noah Lyons’ Silver at the 2026 iQFOiL World Championship in Weymouth, Great Britain.
The performances mark another significant step toward A1R’s long-term objective: developing American athletes capable of competing for medals at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and beyond.
Rose delivered an exceptional championship against one of the deepest fleets in Olympic sailing, closing the event with finishes of 2-6 to secure the world title. She became the first American woman – and first non-European female sailor – to win the ILCA 6 World Championship since Paige Railey 21 years ago.
At the iQFOiL World Championship, Lyons produced an equally impressive performance. Racing against 186 athletes from 41 nations, he finished the Qualification Series at the top of the men’s fleet and advanced directly to the Grand Final. Lyons ultimately secured World Championship Silver, finishing behind 2026 European Champion and 2024 Olympic Bronze Medalist Luuc van Opzeeland of the Netherlands.
Rose captured what the moment meant for the team: “What a day for USA, making history with a World Championship Gold and Silver on the same day! Congrats to Noah for an amazing week of racing! I am unbelievably grateful to be part of this team and to be everyone’s teammate and friend. This couldn’t have happened without everyone’s belief in me from the start.”
Lyons echoed that sense of shared momentum, celebrating Rose’s victory and adding that “the support I feel from my teammates and coaches and everyone is pushing us all to try to become the best in the world.”
For America One Racing, the significance extends beyond two medals. Project Podium was built to create an environment in which American athletes can compete consistently with the world’s best, combining world-class coaching, strong training groups, individualized campaign planning, sport science, performance analytics and the resources required to perform at the highest level.
“What a tremendous accomplishment for Charlotte and Noah, and very well-deserved. The results are also a strong validation of the work our athletes, coaches and performance team are putting in every day,” said Charlie McKee, America One Racing High Performance Director. “Charlotte and Noah showed they can perform at the very front of the world fleet under championship pressure, while their teammates continue to make meaningful steps forward as well. We are building toward 2028, and performances like these show that we are on the right track while reminding us how much work is still ahead.”
With the Los Angeles Olympic Games now less than two years away, the focus remains on converting progress into consistent international performance…and ultimately Olympic medals.
The next major benchmark comes in January in Fortaleza, Brazil, where A1R athletes in ILCA 6, iQFOiL and Formula Kite will compete at the 2027 World Sailing Championships. With the event serving as a major qualification milestone on the road to LA28, Fortaleza will provide another opportunity to measure progress against the world’s best.
The trajectory is strong. The depth of the program is growing. The A1R Project Podium objective remains unchanged: arrive in Los Angeles in 2028 ready to compete for the podium.
