Ireland Off to a Flyer in Hyères
Ireland made a flying start to the 57th French Olympic Sailing Week, with Olympians Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove leading the men’s skiff, while Eve McMahon surged to the top of the women’s dinghy standings after an impressive opening day at the second event of the Sailing Grand Slam series.
A late decision to compete appears to be paying off for Olympians Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) and Seán Waddilove (Skerries Sailing Club), who sit on equal points with the USA at the top of the men’s skiff / 49er fleet after the opening day of racing.
The Dublin pair delivered a strong performance in light wind conditions, securing a race win and a second-place finish from their three races.
Having withdrawn early from the previous Grand Slam regatta in Palma after missing out on Gold Fleet qualification, Dickson and Waddilove opted to reset ahead of next month’s 49er World Championships. That decision looks to be paying dividends, with a confident and composed start in Hyères.
Benjamin Bildstein, 49er coach commented, “We’re very pleased with how Rob and Sean have started the regatta. The guys have shown good strategy and execution throughout. It’s a long week and there’s plenty of racing still to come, but it’s encouraging to see the work we’ve been focusing on being delivered on the water.”
It was all about Eve McMahon again in the women’s dinghy / ILCA 6 fleet as she continued her phenomenal form with two race wins to lead the standings overall. Fresh from claiming gold at the opening Grand Slam just two weeks ago, the Howth sailor showed no signs of slowing despite the quick turnaround.
McMahon said after racing, “It was a tricky start, with the first race abandoned, so we had to reset quickly. But the turnaround was sharp, and I’m delighted to come away with two wins. It’s a great start, but there’s still a long week ahead.”
Elsewhere in the 49er fleet, Development Squad sailors Ben O’Shaughnessy (Royal Cork Yacht Club) and Ethan Spain (National Yacht Club) recorded top of sixth place but lost out on a 10th place following a protest from the Spanish. This leaves them 30th overall.
In the women’s skiff Erin McIlwaine (Royal St George Yacht Club / Newcastle Yacht Clubs) and Ellen Barbour (County Antrim Boat Club) recorded a third place as their best result of the day and are sitting 19th.
In the men’s dinghy / ILCA 7 fleet, it was a challenging opening day for Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) and Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club), both of whom were penalised for starting early in the first race. With additional mid-fleet finishes, neither was able to recover significant ground as racing concluded early, with just two races completed on the course.
Development sailor Fiachra McDonnell (Royal Irish Yacht Club) showed early promise with an eighth-place finish in race one, but a non-start in the second race leaves him down the standings after day one.
Racing continues tomorrow across the fleets tomorrow to determine progression into the Elimination Series, where points are equalised and sailors are split into Gold, Silver and Bronze fleets based on overall standings. The 49er and 49erFX will complete three days of qualifying before this split is made whilst ILCA’s will complete two.
Following the Elimination Series, the top ten boats overall will advance to Saturday’s Final Series, where two races will decide the podium.