Irish Pair Hold Second as Gold Fleet Racing Beckons in Hyères
On Day Two of sailing in Hyères, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove remain firmly in contention, holding second place in the men’s skiff / 49er fleet at the French Sailing Grand Slam.
The North Dublin pair delivered another consistent performance, recording a third and seventh place from their three races. Despite finding themselves mid-fleet off the start line, they showed strong race management to fight back into competitive positions and now sit just two points behind the leading USA crew.
Elsewhere in the 49er fleet, Development sailors Ben O’Shaughnessy (Royal Cork Yacht Club) and Ethan Spain (National Yacht Club) delivered a standout performance, securing a race win and a second place to climb to 12th overall in a highly competitive fleet. The pair are benefiting from the guidance of Irish Sailing Technical Director Rory Fitzpatrick, an experienced coach who has previously guided Annalise Murphy to Olympic silver and supported Eve McMahon to multiple U21 World titles.
Helm and Corkman Ben O’Shaughnessy said, “We’re really pleased with how today went. After the setback with the protest yesterday, it was great to bounce back with strong results. We’ve been focusing on our starts and that paid off, allowing us to sail the race on our terms and maintain good speed around the course. We’re looking forward to stepping into Gold Fleet racing tomorrow.”
With stronger winds forecast for tomorrow, sailors are set for a different style of racing, presenting an exciting challenge for the first day of Gold Fleet racing.
In the women’s dinghy / ILCA 6 fleet, Eve McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) had to deal with some difficult wind shifts but sailed three solid races with an 8th and 7th as her best. After leading yesterday she has now dropped three places to fourth. She will now move into the Elimination series with four points in a secure gold fleet position.
McMahon’s coach, three-time Olympic medallist Vasilij Zbogar said, “Eve delivered a very consistent qualification series and had the strongest average across the fleet, which puts us in a good position heading into the Elimination Series. The next phase is where the racing really intensifies, and we’re looking forward to the challenge over the coming days.”
In the 49erFX fleet, it was a challenging day for Erin McIlwaine (Royal St George YC / Newcastle YC) and Ellen Barbour (Newcastle YC), who were involved in a start-line collision in their opening race. The incident impacted their momentum, and they struggled to recover across the day, recording three back-of-the-fleet finishes. This mean they will now sail in Silver Fleet for the Elimination Series.
In the men’s dinghy / ILCA 7 fleet, Development sailor Fiachra McDonnell (Royal Irish Yacht Club) will be Ireland’s sole representative in Gold Fleet, finishing the qualification series in 40th place after posting results of 14th and 19th to secure his position. This represents a significant milestone for the 21-year-old and provides valuable experience as he continues his progression at this level.
Olympian Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) and teammate Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) faced a difficult task following a challenging opening day. Despite improved performances, their results were not enough to secure progression to Gold Fleet, and both will compete in the Silver Fleet for the remainder of the regatta.
Racing tomorrow marks the beginning of the Elimination Series, where points are equalised and sailors are split into Gold and Silver fleets based on overall standings. Following the Elimination Series, the top ten boats overall will advance to Saturday’s Final Series, where two races will decide the podium.