All 10 Olympic classes will be competing in the 2023 Sailing World Championships in The Hague over the next week. The 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 all began on Friday (11 August), with the Nacra 17 Medal race on Thursday 17 and the skiff medal races next Friday 19 August.

This is the first opportunity to qualify for Paris 2024, and the International 49er Class Association has taken a deep dive into the fleets to predict who is most likely to grab the spots.

Among the Irish sailors in the Netherlands are 49er pair Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove, no doubt looking to top their performance in last month’s Paris 2024 test event.

And the international class has taken notice, rating the duo as ‘on the bubble’ and saying they “are at times right at the front of the action, but are also highly inconsistent. Will we see them at their best?” More on the Worlds predictions HERE.