Dickson and Waddilove win Paris 2024 selection trials series in France
Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) and Sean Waddilove (Skerries Sailing Club) have emerged best of the two Irish contenders to compete in the men's skiff event at Paris 2024 this Summer.
This selection marks the conclusion of a 45-race series which took place over three regattas. The Dublin crew qualified for the medal race final in eighth overall at the 49er European Championships today as the third and final event of the selection trials.
Their rivals for the place, Cork's Séafra Guilfoyle with Johnny Durcan (Royal Cork Yacht Club), delivered an outstanding performance of their own over the past six days finishing with them being placed 12th and leaving them within striking distance of taking the place.
Dickson and Waddilove competed for Ireland at Tokyo 2020 for their first Olympic appearance and qualified Ireland for this year's games at the 2023 Europeans in Portugal last November.
It is expected the nomination will be ratified by the Olympic Federation of Ireland in the coming weeks when Dickson and Waddilove join Eve McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) and Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) in their respective one-person dinghy events for Team Ireland.
Guilfoyle and Durcan were denied a final chance at closing the gap on Dickson and Waddilove when light winds forced their final fleet race to be cancelled on Sunday despite two attempts to go afloat hoping for breeze.
Light winds were also threatening the possibility of the medal race though the best that the Dublin crew can achieve is sixth overall in a fleet that comprises the best sailors in the world that will all be competing in the Olympics.
"Both crews delivered a compelling selection series where each concentrated on improving their form with an eye solely on the games," commented James O'Callaghan, Irish Sailing's Performance Director. "In the end, Rob and Sean are worthy winners but Séafra and Johnnys' commitment and growing form clearly marks them out to watch for Los Angeles 2028."
The final event of the selection series comprised 14 races and just eleven points separated both Irish crews at the conclusion. A final fleet race also offered the prospect of Guilfoyle and Durcan qualifying for the medal race final but the weather conspired otherwise and their 12th overall in the 68-boat fleet stands as their best result ever.
Olympic selection trials on Gold fleet knife-edge
At the halfway stage of the 49er European Sailing Championship in France, both Irish contenders have qualified for the Gold fleet final round that begins on Friday.
Tokyo 2020 veterans Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) with Sean Waddilove (Skerries Sailing Club) continue to hold a slim lead over Cork rivals Séafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan (Royal Cork Yacht Club) who are proving themselves able contenders.
Up to seven races remain in the championship that will decide which of the two Irish boats will be nominated for inclusion in Team Ireland.
To win the nomination, Guilfoyle and Durcan must finish five clear places ahead of Dickson and Waddilove in the final standings on Sunday next.
Currently, the Dublin crew are 16th overall and just nine points ahead of the Crosshaven crew.
A measure of the difficult conditions facing the entire 68-boat fleet is that double-world champions
Bart Lambriex with Floris van de Werken of The Netherlands have dropped to 13th place with a narrow spread of points separating most of the top 20 crews.
"We had crazy racing for the first two days with lots of crashes," commented Matt McGovern, Irish Sailing's 49er coach. "We are now into light winds so it's going to be very, very shifty and tough to predict for the rest of the event."
"As it stands, both our boats are going alright and full credit to Séafra and Johnny, who need the best results they've ever had; they've done job one of getting into Gold fleet."
"Rob and Sean are just keeping the head and not worrying about selection. There's way too much racing left to worry about that."
With a big three days remaining and the points finely spread, anything can happen.
The 49er European Championship is the third and final selection trials regatta to decide Ireland's representative for the men's skiff event at the Paris 2024 Sailing regatta.
Irish Sailing's other two will be represented by Eve McMahon in the women's one-person dinghy and Finn Lynch in the men's one-person dinghy who are both already confirmed.
Olympic Sailing selection series to be decided at La Grande Motte
With just under three months remaining to the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the final composition of the sailing squad to be nominated for Team Ireland will be known this week.
The men's skiff event has two Irish crews vying for selection with the third and final event taking place this week at La Grande Motte, close to the Olympic sailing venue at Marseille on the Cote D'Azur.
A fleet of 71 two-person 49er class skiffs, including all the major nations expected for Paris 2024 are contesting the European championship over the next six days.
Tokyo 2020 veterans Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) with Sean Waddilove (Skerries Sailing Club) have a slim five-point lead over Cork rivals Séafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan (Royal Cork Yacht Club).
"The outcome of our selection trials is finely balanced between the two boats," commented James O'Callaghan, Performance Director with Irish Sailing. "This series will likely be determined by whichever crew can open up the championship with some strong early results."
The structure of the selection trials means both boats will concentrate on delivering their best regatta performance rather than compete solely for the selection trials.
While Dickson and Waddilove have the favourite status, Guilfoyle and Durcan have demonstrated considerable resilience and steadily improving form since they lost their place in Irish Sailing's senior squad last year.
The event gets underway afloat on Tuesday (May 7) with the 71 boats split into two qualifying groups, each competing in three races daily to decide a Gold fleet that sails a final round on Friday, Saturday and Sunday comprising a total of seven further races.
Both Irish boats must at least qualify for Gold fleet for the selection trials to continue to the end of the event.
In the overall European championship, the top ten boats on Sunday morning will compete in a single medal race final to determine the podium.
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