McMahon Moves to Pole Position. Three Irish Boats in Medal Race.
Ireland has qualified three boats for the medal-deciding Final Series at the French Sailing Grand Slam in Hyères.
On the final day of fleet racing at French Olympic Week Irish sailors Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) and Seán Waddilove (Skerries Sailing Club) in the men’s skiff, Eve McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) in the women’s dinghy and newcomers Erin McIlwaine (Royal St George YC / Newcastle YC) and Ellen Barbour (County Antrim Boat Club) in the women’s skiff all secured their places in tomorrow’s Final Series where the medals will be decided.
McMahon leads the Irish charge moving into first place overall in the women’s dinghy / ILCA 6 fleet after climbing two spots with a ninth and second-place finish today. She is now two points ahead of the 2024 champion at this regatta, USA’s Charlotte Rose.
She said after racing, “I was a little frustrated after yesterday, so it was important to reset and put in two solid races today. The conditions made it a real game of inches with the shifts difficult to read, but I felt I managed them well. Heading into the Final Series it’s about staying clear and focused. The new points format adds another layer, but I’ll take it race by race and see where it leads.”
Dickson and Waddilove have been a constant presence at the top of the leaderboard throughout the regatta. Conditions today brought delays and abandonments creating a more challenging racing environment and the pair found the shifting breeze difficult to navigate. They recorded a number of mid-fleet finishes, but finished the day with an eighth that leaves them third overall heading into the Final Series.
Irish Sailing Technical Director Rory Fitzpatrick said, “They struggled off the line in the first two races which made things difficult but showed real resilience in the final race to put themselves back in a strong position heading into the finals.”
In the women’s skiff / 49erFX fleet, McIlwaine and Barbour delivered a standout performance, enjoying one of their strongest days of the regatta. Sailing four races in quick succession they recorded a third and a sixth to move into 10th overall and secure qualification for the Final Series.
Irish Sailing coach and double Olympian Matt McGovern said, “Today everything seemed to click for the girls. They went out with the goal of making the Medal Series and exceeded expectations. They put together four very solid races with minimal mistakes and even when things didn’t go their way, they fought back strongly. It was fantastic to see, and we’re really excited for their first senior Final Series.”
Points will now be equalised ahead of the Final Series tightening the leaderboard and setting up a highly competitive conclusion.
In the men’s dinghy ILCA 7 Gold Fleet, UCD student Fiachra McDonnell (Royal Irish Yacht Club) completed his regatta in 43rd place overall, an excellent result that will provide valuable experience moving forward.
Fellow Development sailors Ben O’Shaughnessy (Royal Cork Yacht Club) and Ethan Spain (National Yacht Club) concluded their week in the 49er Gold Fleet in 20th place overall, with standout results including a race win and a third-place finish in this highly experienced field.
In the Silver Fleet, Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) and Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) made the most of the week, finishing first and third respectively.
The Final Series gets underway tomorrow at 10:30am local time for the skiff fleets and 11:40am for the women’s dinghy, with two races set to decide the podium.