Knowledge of the waters on Dublin Bay is something Eve McMahon will look to as an advantage for next September's Laser Class World Sailing Championship in Dun Laoghaire.
Twenty-two-year-old Howth native McMahon won bronze at the Women's ILCA 6 Worlds in 2025 and before that was a two-time Under-21 world champion.
Just last week in Croatia, she claimed U23 gold and finished fourth overall at the ILCA European Championships in Croatia.
And now McMahon, who is ranked number three in the world, has her sights firmly fixed on September and competing against the world's best on home waters.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland, she said: "It is really exciting times for Irish sailing to be competing in a World Championships at home. It's the first time since 2001 which is incredible and all of our international training partners will be coming to Ireland, to Dun Laoghaire, to train on my home waters.
"The men race at the end of August and the women come in at the start of September. Hopefully Dublin Bay will turn it on with some incredible sailors coming here: Olympic champions and the best in the world. It will be a great battle for sure and something I'm really looking forward to."
Of course will be hoping that her familiarity with the waters will stand her in good stead.
"Knowing the venue in sailing is huge, that's why a lot of international training partners will come to Dublin Bay to get used to the waters, get used to the tide, get used to the wind and get used to the waves," she added.
"Luckily, I have home advantage where I already know a little bit about that. So, I have an edge on the competition already, but it's massive in sailing to get used to the venue."
While competing at the Europeans in Croatia, it was there where McMahon sat some of her final-year exams in international commerce. She has one paper to sit on Tuesday next in UCD.
Time studying and competition on the waters, it would seem, managed to perfection by the Paris Olympian, who will hope to be at LA in two years' time.
"It's been an incredible four years of balancing study and my sailing, but I've loved it all the same," she revealed.
"I think it's really nice to have something so separate to your sporting career, like when everybody is kind of overthinking about their sailing day of racing, I'm focusing on how I can get my assignment in before the deadline.
"So it's quite nice to just have something that's so different. And I've always really thought it's important to have a degree, and UCD have been an incredible support throughout my balance of academics and my sporting commitments.
"So I think if it wasn't for them, I don't think I'd be in the place I'd be. So, a massive thank you to the Ad Astra Elite Sports Scholarship because it wouldn't be possible without them."
