McMahon Makes Gains in Gold Fleet at ILCA 6 Worlds
Eve McMahon has climbed six places to 11th overall following the opening day of Gold Fleet racing at the ILCA 6 Women’s World Championship.
Light and variable conditions of approximately eight to ten knots made for a highly technical day on Dublin Bay, with shifting winds and uneven pressure across the racecourse.
Following a short delay while the Race Committee waited for the breeze to settle, racing got under way for the Gold Fleet, featuring 54 of the world’s leading ILCA 6 sailors.
Among them was Olympian Eve McMahon (Howth Yacht Club), who began the day in 17th overall following Tuesday’s strong-wind racing. The lighter conditions offered the Howth sailor an opportunity to make up ground.
Despite a difficult start in a fleet where several sailors were over the line, McMahon quickly worked her way into contention and used the shifting breeze to her advantage. A seventh-place finish moved her six places up the standings to 11th overall and just one point outside the top ten.
Speaking after racing, McMahon said: “I’m happy with my result today. We’re back in the game now, and we’ll keep going tomorrow.
“It was nice to have some different conditions today, and tomorrow is looking pretty different again. We’ll take it as it comes and see how I do.”
Rio Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy (National Yacht Club) also completed one Gold Fleet race but was also caught in the melee at the start. She was unable to recover through the fleet and now sits 32nd overall.
There was also a reshuffle at the top of the standings as the Irish Sea delivered a fresh set of conditions. Belgium’s Emma Plasschaert moved into first place, with the USA’s Charlotte Rose second and Australia’s Mara Stransky third.
In Silver Fleet, Lucy Ives (Royal St George Yacht Club) made the most of the lighter conditions, securing an excellent seventh-place finish. The young development sailor is now 23rd in Silver Fleet.
Sienna Wright (Howth Yacht Club), who missed out on Gold Fleet qualification by the narrowest of margins yesterday, finished ninth in today’s race and is now second overall in Silver Fleet.
Speaking after racing, Wright said: “I’m disappointed, to be honest. I had really hoped to qualify for Gold Fleet, but it is what it is. I’ll now focus on correcting some of the mistakes I made during the qualification series and gaining as much experience as I can from the remaining races.
“It was nice to have a break from the stronger winds today, although the breeze was very shifty, which made conditions difficult. Getting a good start is crucial in lighter conditions because it can be very hard to recover if you are behind early.
“It is really special to be racing on home waters. All the volunteers have been incredibly supportive, and that has made a huge difference.”
Stronger winds are forecast for the second day of Gold Fleet racing tomorrow. The first start has been brought forward to 11am, with the Race Committee aiming to complete three races.
Two days of Gold Fleet racing remain before the championship concludes on Saturday, 12 September, when the Medal Series will decide the final podium positions.