The Los Angeles Sailing Grand Slam concludes today with the debut of a new Final Series format, replacing the traditional Medal Race and ensuring the battle for the podium remains alive until the final race. Ireland's Eve McMahon and Finn Lynch have both qualified for the Final Series after finishing in the top ten of their respective fleets on the waters that will host the sailing competition at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Unlike the previous Medal Race format, the new Final Series begins by compressing the leaderboard before two short, high-intensity races that will decide the final standings. Before racing begins, the qualification scores are adjusted using two rules. The first is the nine-point rule, where no sailor can start more than nine points behind the competitor immediately ahead. Any larger gaps are reduced, while smaller gaps remain unchanged. The second is the 18-point rule, which applies from third place down to tenth. No sailor can begin the Final Series more than 18 points behind the sailor in third place, with larger gaps reduced accordingly. The aim is to keep more sailors in contention while still rewarding strong performances during the qualification series.
For Ireland, both sailors remain well placed heading into the final showdown. Eve McMahon sits fourth overall and remains just eight points behind the overall leader, with no score compression required at the front of the fleet as the top four sailors are already separated by fewer than nine points. Finn Lynch also enters the Final Series in a strong position. Sitting just one point behind Britain's Michael Beckett in third place, he remains firmly in the hunt for a podium finish heading into the deciding races.
The Final Series consists of two short, approximately 15-minute races, with standard low-point scoring and no discard. The adjusted qualification score is then added to both race scores to determine the overall result. With medals still within reach, the new format promises an exciting finish to the regatta today. With two races, no discard and everything still to play for, the Irish sailors are in the battle to finish their Los Angeles campaign on the podium.