#laserradialyoutheuros – The Radial Youth Sailing Laser European Championships in Portugal have tested the mettle of the Irish sailors with a different set of conditions each day.
Day 1: No sailing due to fog, Day 2: 2 races completed in conditions so light they were barely sailable. The sailing was very tactical., Day 3: 3 races were planned but 2 completed in 25 knots of wind and a big swell
Day 4: 3 races completed in light to medium conditions in a big swell with a funny little chop. The Irish sailors struggled in these very unfamiliar conditions.
The racing strategy appeared simple. Start at the committee boat, bang as far right as you can and sail your boat as fast as you can over the chop. No tactics involved.
Yesterday was the first day of Gold fleet racing and the girls fleet was split into Gold and Silver whereas the larger boys fleet was split into Gold, Silver, Bronze and Emerald Fleets.
Topper World Champion Liam Glynn was in fourth position going into yesterday's racing but unsure in the strange local conditions he posted a 32, 31, 41st and has dropped to 29th position overall. Liam will hope to improve on this position today.
Aoife Hopkins in her first European Championship remains in seventh position in Gold fleet. Yesterday she had her first bad race posting a 29th which she has discarded followed by a 11 and a 9th as she struggled in the unfamiliar conditions.
She is followed closely behind by team mate Aisling Keller who has climbed nicely up the fleet and is now in 10th position.
Currently there is little wind, low cloud and drizzle in Viano do Castelo as the sailors head into the penultimate day of racing.
Results here
