Irish Sailors in Leaders Group at Halfway Stage of Olympic Skiff Event
After a second day of racing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing regatta in Marseille today Ireland's Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove are lying second overall in the fleet qualifying series.
Six more races remain on Tuesday and Wednesday to decide the overall top ten boats who then contest a short medal race final to decide the podium on Thursday.
Dickson and Waddilove delivered a fourth place followed by a second and then an eighth in the last race of the day. That final race was the subject of a protest by the Spanish crew who claimed an infringement which resulted in disqualification from that race. The Irish crew still hold their second place overall but now they have used their discard for a maximum score.
Dickson and Waddilove are still ahead of the Spanish crew on points and would ideally have preferred not to use their 'ace card' to drop a result like this in case of further upset in the crucial final races over the coming two days.
Nevertheless, the Dublin pair were upbeat about their day on reaching shore at the Roucas Blanc Marina.
"We had very light wind again for the first race," commented Waddilove. "We actually didn't have a great start as we wanted to go to the pressure on the left. We managed to get a lane after that and hold on to it with great boat speed, which helped around the course."
Conditions are expected to freshen over the coming days, wind that will be welcomed by all the sailors.
"We're prepared for anything so it's meant to be a little bit windier tomorrow, and it could be a bit off the shore so it'll be an interesting day," said Dickson. "We've come into this regatta and the plan is to do as well as we can and try and get a medal. So, it's going to plan - it feels great to be doing so well and we're happy."
Six more fleet races will be sailed over the coming two days and then the short medal race on Thursday 1st August.
The conclusion of the Men's Skiff is also the opening day of racing in both the Men's Dinghy featuring Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) and Women's Dinghy where Eve McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) is making her Olympic debut.