Paris 2024 selection trials down to the wire for men's skiff sailors
After a disappointing conclusion to French Olympic Week at Hyères with no Irish sailors into Saturday's medal race final, attention now switches to the deciding event of the men's skiff selection trials.
All events in this week's regatta concluded their series despite moderate winds and torrential rain all day on Friday.
Eve McMahon opened her final day of fleet races needing a big jump to reach the top ten for a place in the medal race on Saturday in the women's one-person dinghy (ILCA6 class).
She scored a creditable ninth in the morning but that wasn't enough and even a race win in the last race wouldn't have improved her chances. She took a 23rd place despite holding with the leaders for most of the race until a windshift caught her out and she ended 12th overall out of 67 sailors.
In the men's counterpart event (ILCA7 class), Carlow's Finn Lynch ended his run of improving form by serving up a 46th and a 42nd which dropped him from 23rd overall to 31st for the regatta.
Ireland's second boat in the men's one-person dinghy, Ewan McMahon held his overnight 22nd place after a 14th place in the morning followed by his worst score of the regatta, a 38th which he was then able to discard.
However, it was in the Men's skiff event where a two-boat selection trials has been building towards an epic conclusion after two inconclusive regattas that sees just five points separating the two crews.
Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove dropped back five places to 16th after a lacklustre four-race final day in which the Dublin crew were unable to finish inside the top ten.
Crosshaven's Séafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan didn't fare much better, ending the series in 21st overall after a final day that included a disqualification for early starting.
"We're still in the game - a couple of things to work on next week but we're really confident," said Durcan. "It'll be important to rest in the next few days and then just concentrate on our selves. There's a lot that we can do right that will help."
The third and final event in their trials series gets underway in less than two weeks with the 49er European Championships at La Grand Motté, France.
Dickson and Waddilove hold a tiny five point advantage meaning the Cork crew must beat them by five places and finish within the top 20 at the Europeans to win the place with Team Ireland for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
"For sure, there are a lot of positives after a week with the outcome we've had," commented James O'Callaghan, Performance Director with Irish Sailing. "We got to do the dry-run for the games which was the intention for this event."
The coming three months will see the full squad based in Marseille for fine-tuning and re-familiarisation with the Olympic sailing venue where the Irish Sailing Foundation has provided a training base for the past three years.
There's plenty to work on but once you've qualified for the Olympics you're already a top-level sailor - there's no doubt about that," said O'Callaghan. "There are only small improvements needed going forward."
Skiff sailors lead Irish hopes going into penultimate day of French Olympic Sailing week
With just Friday's fleet racing remaining at French Olympic Week at Hyères Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove lead Irish hopes for the medal race final in the men's skiff event.
However, despite strong form in today's breezy conditions, the pair still faced an evening in the protest room due to an incident in the opening race of the day where another entrant forced them into a collision with a third boat.
The Dublin crew is provisionally listed as tenth overall, a result that could improve further or worsen depending on the outcome of the international jury's decisions.
Dickson and Waddilove scored a 19th for that race as they sought to recover ground following the collision. However, they regained form and placed 11th and fifth in the two following races.
Rivals for the single Irish berth for their event at Paris 2024, Crosshaven's Séafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan steadily improved their form during the day and picked up to 20th place overall.
"We're not thrilled but not too down either - we had a pretty solid day," commented Durcan after racing. "We figured a few things out with speed towards the end so we'll build on that."
The two Irish skiffs are in a three-regatta contest to select the crew that will take the spot for Paris 2024.
Thursday's conditions again saw the famous Mediterranean wind known as the Mistral blowing for most of the day leading to short, steep waves on most course areas off Hyères.
Rio 2016 Olympian Finn Lynch enjoyed the conditions and while he had a tenth as his best result of the week so far, he also had weightier 16th place.
The day's results brought him to 23rd overall, one place behind Ewan McMahon who was unable to break into the top 20 in either of the two races.
"I just want to finish on a positive note and sail at the best level I can sail at," said Lynch. "The last two days were an improvement on the first two days but I haven't really hit my stride yet - I haven't really been on top of the conditions."
Eve McMahon also had a tough day, mainly due to a starting infringement disqualification in the first race which she then followed with a 33rd place.
"All I can do tomorrow is give it my all - I think that today I was just over-thinking things too much," McMahon said of her performance today. "I was just a bit too eager and it just didn't work."
Robust conditions mark mid-way stage of French Olympic Sailing week
At the halfway stage of French Olympic Week at Hyères Ireland's Eve McMahon tops the senior squad standings after a robust day on the water.
Already confirmed for this Summer's Paris 2024 Olympics, McMahon is already making her mark at senior level and currently holds eighth place overall at this World Cup of Sailing championship event.
After a long wait ashore for the schedule to commence, the course area for her women's one-person dinghy event (ILCA6 class) was to be moved deep offshore as Mistral winds gusted to over 20 knots at times.
Returning to shore at sunset, McMahon was pleased with her day afloat although she did slip from fifth overnight.
"We were much further out which was nice but it was still very shifty in the gusts," McMahon said on reaching shore. "In the first race, I rounded the top mark in fifth place which I was very happy with but then got caught by a wind-shift and lost ten or twelve place so I was very tough on myself.
"But I learned for the next race and I was pleased to be with the leaders and get a 14th."
Meanwhile, her older brother Ewan McMahon competing in the men's one-person dinghy (ILCA7 class) slipped from eighth to 15th overall after a 23rd and 29th for the day on his course, also staged deep offshore.
Rio 2016 Olympian Finn Lynch who is also destined for Paris 2024 improved on his opening days' results posting an 11th and an 18th for the day in the conditions he was looking forward to.
He has bounced up the fleet to 34th overall and further improvements can be expected with more fresh to strong winds expected for Thursday.
In the Men's skiff event, both Irish crews had mixed results for their three races.
Rob Dickson and Sean Waddilove lead the Irish selection trials for the single place available for Paris 2024 and lie in 13th overall in their 30 boat fleet.
Crosshaven's Séafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan are ten places behind and were unlucky when they capsized in the third race of the day.
"We're reasonably pleased except for the mishap in the last race," said Durcan after racing ended. "It's really enjoyable racing, the fleet is close together and the level is really, really high - tough but rewarding."
Racing continues on Thursday with 11am race starts scheduled for all three Irish events.
Irish boats in top ten overall after second day of French Olympic Week
Three Irish sailors have moved into the top ten of their respective events on the second day of French Olympic Week at Hyères.
Both McMahon siblings from Howth Yacht Club fared well with Eve McMahon now in fifth overall after her three opening races - Monday's racing for her women's single-person dinghy event (ILCA6 class) was cancelled due to difficult wind conditions.
"It's only the first day but so far it's very good though it was very tricky - there's some wild results on the sheet so I'm happy to keep my results low," said Eve McMahon. "I've done my time fighting at the back of the fleet and now I feel it's my time to be fighting at the front of the fleet - and I'm enjoying every single minute of it!"
Her older brother Ewan had a mixed day in the men's single-person dinghy (ILCA7 class) with a 26th which he was able to use the event discard to drop so he counts Monday's ninth place followed by a 13th for the second race of today.
"It's going well, I'm just keeping everything really simple especially as it's so shifty out there with the breeze coming off the land," said Ewan McMahon. "In a 70-boat fleet with a lot of guys to consider, executing the start is about 70 per cent of the race then you switch your focus to the next leg ahead of you."
He now lies eighth overall in his event with six more races scheduled for the coming days.
Although Eve McMahon is confirmed as the nominee for Team Ireland at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Ewan McMahon lost out in the selection trials to Rio 2016 veteran Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club).
However, the Carlow sailor has been unable to find form so far this week after 55th and 46th places today saw him drop to 49th place overall in the 69-boat men's single-person dinghy event (ILCA7 class).
"I had a bad day on the water but I think we'll have three races tomorrow," said Lynch after racing ended. "We're expecting strong Mistral (wind) conditions so I'm looking forward to that.
"My speed is okay but with 70 boats on the starting line it’s all about strategy."
Meanwhile, Ireland has two boats contesting a selection trials to decide on the Team Ireland place for the Men's skiff event (49er class) with French Olympic Week the second of three events.
Robert Dickson (Howth YC) and Sean Waddilove (Skierries Sailing Club) had a solid day with two top ten places that moved them into eighth overall in their event. Having held second place for most of the second race of the day, the Dublin pair were unlucky to miss a windshift and dropped back to eighth place.
"With two top tens from two races we're pretty happy," said Dickson after racing. "Some of the (training) work since Lanzarote (world championships) has paid off."
However, their rival Irish crew of Séafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan (Royal Cork Yacht Club) were unlucky in their second race of the day when the mainsail halyard broke and they scored maximum points.
The Cork pair have dropped to 24th place in the 30 boat fleet though with potentially nine more races before Saturday's medal race final they have scope to regain a foothold in the series.
Organisers of the annual French Olympic Week (SOF) are running two regattas concurrently, double the usual number of events with the 'Last Chance Regatta' to decide the 50 remaining nation places for Paris 2024 alongside the usual World Cup of Sailing series.
Mixed conditions brings mixed results for Irish sailors on the opening day of French Olympic Week
Seasonal weather ranging from sun to rain and calm to brisk winds marked the opening day of French Olympic Week at Hyères where more than 800 sailors from 90 nations have gathered.
Although 50 places for the Paris 2024 Games across all ten Olympic events are being decided at this 'Last Chance Regatta' all three Irish events have already qualified so are competing in the ‘Qualified Nations’ series.
Although Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) will be nominated for Team Ireland later this Summer, it was Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) who topped the Irish results for Day 1 with a ninth place in the men's single-handed event.
Lynch took a 20th for the single race of the day and this year's regatta has 70 contenders in their event with no qualification round for Gold fleet - almost all the top Olympic athletes are racing this week as the last major competition before the games.
"It wasn't a disaster but I would've preferred to have had a better race," Lynch said after racing. "We have 70 boats so strategy becomes very important - you can't be in the middle because you'll have 30 boats either side of you."
After a long wait afloat and two attempted starts, the women's single-handed event ended the day without a race and cold conditions took over. That means Ireland's Eve McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) will have to wait until Tuesday for her first race as she plans her debut Olympic appearance in July.
French Olympic Week is the second of three selection trials events for the Irish men's skiff entry secured last Autumn by Robert Dickson (Howth YC) and Sean Waddilove (Skierries Sailing Club). The Dublin pair had a mixed day from their two races and lie 14th overall in their 30-boat event.
Their contenders, Séafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan (Royal Cork Yacht Club) also had mixed fortunes and ended the opening day in 20th place.
“It was a long day with big (wind) shifts and big wind range - it was very cold," commented Guilfoyle after racing. "We got caught out with the wrong set-up for the first race as we had 10 knots before the race started but by the time we got into the race it was over 20 so we just managed around the course.
"It was a bit unfortunate but we've learned for the future. It’s going to be a long week so no point focusing on results."
Racing continues daily until Friday when the top ten boats in each event go forward to a medal race final on Saturday. However, with the Last Chance regatta taking priority, racing for the 'Qualified Nations' sailors is likely to be delayed until the end of each day though the intention is to complete a minimum of six races for their respective series.
Full Irish Sailing squad to compete in mammoth French Olympic Week
Ireland will have a full team presence in all three Paris 2024 qualified disciplines next week when the full-scale French Olympic Week gets underway on the Cote D'Azur (Hyères, Monday 22nd to Saturday 27th April 2024).
A total of 824 sailors on 660 boats from 90 nations will be competing in ten separate disciplines.
French Olympic Week is the last major competition for most events before attention switches to Marseille, the Olympic Sailing regatta venue where the Irish Sailing Foundation established a team base two years ago for specific training and preparation.
Rio 2016 veteran Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) was first to secure a place for Ireland at last Summer's combined Sailing World Championships in The Hague for the men's single-handed event (ILCA7). Earlier this year, he won a selection trials series against Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) who will also be competing next week in their 75-strong fleet.
McMahon's younger sister Eve also qualified Ireland for the women's single-handed event (ILCA6) at her world championships in January and, as the sole Irish contender for this event automatically qualified to be nominated to the Olympic Federation of Ireland's squad for the Olympic Games.
French Olympic Week will be the second of three selection trials event for the men's double-handed skiff event (49er) where Tokyo Olympians Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) with Sean Waddilove (Skerries Sailing Club) are competing against Crosshaven's Seafra Guilfoyle with Johnny Durcan (Royal Cork Yacht Club) for the place secured in this event by the Dublin crew last Autumn.
The two crews will end their selection trials at their class European championship at the start of May.
Semaine Olympique Francais (SOF) will also be the 'Last Chance Regatta' as remaining places for the Paris 2024 Olympics will be decided for each of the ten disciplines although Ireland has already secured berths in all three contested events.
However, in a new development for operating a World Cup of Sailing regatta, organisers will run separate competitions for the Last Chance contenders but at the same venue and course areas as the qualified nations events.
"We are using Hyères as a full dress rehearsal for our Olympic set up as it’s an ideal learning opportunity which we are planning to make the most of ," commented James O'Callaghan, Irish Sailing's Performance Director. "On shore, all supports will be in place. On the water, racing will be intense as our sailors will face only the qualified nations."
Racing gets underway on Monday for all Qualified Nation classes with the qualification round over three days before the Gold fleets in each class are decided. The top ten boats in each will go forward for a high-scoring medal race on the final day of the regatta.