Ten points off a medal, Finn Lynch leaves the Laser/ILCA 7 World in Mexico disappointed not to be on the podium, but it nevertheless confirms the National Yacht Club ace as one of the World's top ten Laser sailors as the battle for a single place in Paris 2024 intensifies.

After his week-long domination at the front of the 126-boat championship, Jean Baptiste Bernaz of France emerged with Gold. However, his lead narrowed in the penultimate race after a disqualification for early starting.

Lynch went into the final day in fifth (he was as high as fourth overall last Wednesday) but overhauling either Croatia's Tonci Stipanovic or 2017 Laser World Champion Pavlos Kontides proved to be too big an ask. Two solid races on the final day were needed to reach the podium and sit with his silver medal from the last world championships in November 2021.

Lynch had a 21st place in the penultimate race, which he couldn't discard, having previously used his discard through gear failure (a downhaul rope breakage in the last qualified on Wednesday that he may well rue). 

He wasn't the only one to drop back as New Zealander Thomas Saunders who was second had to be satisfied with the leather medal after the final shake-up.

The first race of the day brought a little drama when the event leader Jean-Baptiste Bernaz (FRA) got a Black flag, and Pavlos Kontides (CYP) finished fifth, which lifted him to a second overall place, with just 12 points behind Jean-Baptiste. By finishing 14th place, Thomas Saunders (NZL) fell to the third position, only five points ahead of Tonci Stipanovic (CRO).

According to the Notice of Race, the last possible Warning signal at 1500 made it impossible to race committee to give to the Silver fleet a second race, so they finished the championship with 11 races sailed total.

However, the Gold fleet still managed to get their last race started in time and Michael Beckett (GBR) made his best race during the regatta by winning that race. Filip Jurisic (CRO) finished second, which moved him up to the 3rd overall position; Joel Rodriquez Perez (ESP) finished third.

Jean-Baptiste Bernaz (FRA) by finishing 7th in the last race secured his position he held almost the whole regatta and became the new ILCA 7 World Champion.

For the first time, the ILCA 7 Men's World Champion title goes to France!

As the top Irish contender, Lynch is attempting to rebuild after his disappointment of failing to qualify for Tokyo 2020. All credit to him that he is on the right tack at the first opportunity.

A catalogue of quality results achieved since last November shows the depth of the ambition of a new and improved Irish number one.

Since the Laser/ILCA 7 dinghy made its Olympic debut 25 years ago, Ireland has sought a top 30 result at the annual World Championships. Now it has two top tens and a silver medal thanks to Lynch's exploits.

Lynch's own best Worlds performance before Barcelona 2021 and Mexico this week was 31, scored in Melbourne in 2020, a position he also got in Aarhus, Denmark, in 2018. 31st is also a result achieved by his predecessor James Espey in Oman in 2013.

It's not popular to air it in some quarters, but despite 25 years of trying, and until 2021, Ireland had never finished in the top 30 of the World Championships never mind the top ten. You have to go right back to the 'eighties to find any higher Irish results.

In 1983 Lyttle finished 19th and Bill O'Hara 13th, a record, albeit achieved in pre-Olympic times, that stood until Lynch changed all that in blistering fashion.

A short break now follows for Lynch before he returns to competition in The Netherlands for the Allianz Regatta and preparation for the 2023 world championships, which will be the first qualification opportunity for Paris 2024.

Final top ten

1. Jean-Baptiste Bernaz, FRA, 51 points
2. Pavlos Kontides, CYP, 68
3. Filip Jurisic. CRO, 75
4. Thomas Saunders, NZL, 77
5. Tonci Stipanovic, CRO, 81
6. Finn Lynch, IRL, 85
7. Elliot Hanson, GBR, 88
8. Philipp Buhl, GER, 99
9. Jonatan Vadnai, HUN, 101
10. Stefano Peschiera , PER, 105

Full Results

Just six points separate Finn Lynch and the successful defence of his 2021 Laser/ILCA World Championships silver medal going into the final two races of the 2022 championships in Vallarta, Mexico today. 

Despite a 24th scored in race three of gold fleet racing, the Irishman only dropped back one place to be fifth overall thanks to an eighth (his sixth top ten result of the series) scored yesterday evening.

When Lynch won silver in Barcelona at the last world championships in November 2021, it was Ireland's best-ever men's Laser result by a country mile, so the prospect of a repeat performance six months later is a tantalizing prospect for Irish sailing fans today.

While overall leader Jean-Baptiste Bernaz has a 20-point cushion, only six points separate second from fifth in what promises to be a sensational World championship climax in the men's single-handed Olympic dinghy class.

Third and fourth places are held by Olympic medalists who are tied on 51 points.

The National Yacht Club sailor, on 56 points, couldn't be in for a bigger fight. Croatia's Tonci Stipanovic in fourth is a former runner-up and double Olympic silver medalist and the 2017 Laser World Champion Pavlos Kontides (also an Olympic silver medalist from London 2012) from Cyrpus lies third.

Lynch must outsail both if he wants to dispossess New Zealand's Thomas Saunders of his 50 point silver medal position in today's final two races.

Full results here

A stunning performance from Finn Lynch on Banderas Bay has put the National Yacht Club solo ace into fourth overall – and crucially – tied on points for third place after the first day of Gold Fleet racing at the ILCA 7/Laser World Championships in Mexico.

Lynch rebounded from gear failure that dropped him to 11th overall on Wednesday to leapfrog a massive seven places by scoring 7 and 2 in the first two of six gold fleet races in the 63-boat fleet on Thursday.

Now on 48 points, the performance keeps Lynch's World silver medal defence alive. The 26-year-old Rio Olympian is just five points away from Hungary's Jonatan Vadnai, who sits in second overall.

Conditions were lighter for the first time in the championship on Wednesday, with strong current affecting the fleet. Three Black flag starts were needed to get the first race of the day off with nine sailors disqualified for early starting.

"Finn feels quite good, he's been in this position before so he knows how to deal with it," said Lynch's coach Vasilij Zbogar. "There are good sailors in front, good sailors behind - anything can happen - but a good opening to the finals.

"Slightly less wind than previously so that suits Finn for sure. There's still everything to play for but it's nice to be in the game."

The championship is led by France's Jean-Baptiste Bernaz, who has seven top four scores to have a 26-point margin over second place.  Just six points separate second to fifth overall.

After eight races sailed, with seven to count, four more will be sailed to complete a full schedule by Saturday.

The top 5 after eight races sailed: 

1. Jean-Baptiste Bernaz (FRA) - 17 points
2. Jonatan Vadnai (HUN) - 43
3. Thomas Saunders (NZL) - 48
4. Finn Lynch, (IRL) - 48
5. Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) - 49

Full results here

Finn Lynch's defence of his ILCA 7/Laser World Championships silver medal suffered a gear failure setback yesterday at Vallarta, Mexico when the National Yacht Club ace posted a 'Did not Compete' (DNC) in his final qualification race.

Until yesterday, the consistent performance of the 26-year-old Carlow sailor kept him inside the top ten with an impressive scoresheet of 10, 2, 4, 13 and 10 in the 126-boat fleet.

With such scores, Lynch eased into the Gold fleet finals after three days of competition but will, however, rue the missed final qualification race.

It was a day of drama for Lynch who was lying eighth in the first race of the day but 'made contact' with another boat and ended tenth. In the second race, in ideal 12-18 knots winds, his downhaul rope broke ruling him out of the race.

Coach Vasilij Zbogar said "his downhaul rope broke but fortunately it was the last race and it is discarded so it's acceptable - the points are close and there's a lot in play in the finals."

Downhaul ropes have huge loads in Laser rigs and are fitted as a double block 8:1 purchase requiring replacement every four-to-five events, according to top campaigners.

Now at the halfway stage of the regatta and in 11th place going into the final six races, Lynch will be aiming to make up the 27 point gap between leader Jean-Baptiste Bernaz of France on 12 points and his own 39-point tally.

One race discard applies after the qualification round while a second discard will be available in the final round.

Bernaz with (19, 3, 2, 3, 2, 2 places) has maintained his overall lead in the regatta, with former World Champion Kontides moving up several places to fifth with a strong performance on Wednesday.

The championships continue with the final series where a maximum of six races will be sailed over the next three days. The top half of the fleet will sail in the Gold fleet while the balance, including injury-hit Ewan McMahon of Howth, are in the Silver fleet.

Howth's Ewan McMahon completed the qualification races of the Laser World Championships with painful ankle injuries Photo: John Pounder/ILCA

McMahon, who has battled his ankle problems since last week's pre-worlds training, has decided not to continue.  Zbogar said "Ewan isn't able to perform because of his injury, it doesn't make any sense to continue to sail and make things worse," said Zbogar.  "There's too much pain and too many anti-inflammatories and painkillers needed."

The top 5 starting their Final series:

1. Jean-Baptiste Bernaz (FRA) - 12 points
2. Elliot Hanson (GBR) - 15
3. Jonatan Vadnai (HUN) - 18
4. Daniel Whiteley (GBR) - 19
5. Pavlos Kontides (CYP) - 20

11. Finn Lynch, (IRL) - 39

Full results here Gold fleet finalists here

The National Yacht Club's Finn Lynch kept the defence of his 2021 silver medal very much alive when he added a fourth place on Tuesday to be in the top ten overall of the ILCA7/Laser World Championships in Mexico.

Lying eighth overall with one day of the qualification round remaining, consistent Lynch had a 13th place in the second race of the day, his worst of the series so far at Puerto Vallarta. 

Unfortunately, Howth Yacht Club's Ewan McMahon's 'problem with his ankles' continues to limit his ability to hike his dinghy. He finished 45th and 41st places leaving him outside of contention for Gold fleet.

Howth Yacht Club's Ewan McMahon is continuing to race while battling an ankle problem. Photo: John Pounder/Vallarta Yacht Club

French sailor Jean-Baptiste Bernaz currently leads the championship overall while Tokyo 2020 Gold medallist Matt Wearn from Australia sailed ashore prior to Monday's race and is out of the competition due to illness.

Results are here

The Laser or ILCA7 is the Men's single-handed event for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Qualification for the Marseille regatta in just over two years' time will be at next year's combined Sailing World Championships in The Netherlands with another opportunity at the 2024 worlds.

The National Yacht Club's Finn Lynch is off to a great start to his silver medal defence at the ILCA7/Laser World Championships in Puerto Vallarta.

Lynch posted is lying sixth overall on the Banderas Bay after the first two qualification races in typical sea breeze conditions. 

The 26-year-old scored a tenth then second place in his flight in the 126-boat regatta and was placed sixth overall. They are scores the Carlow native will be keen to maintain as a good average, which is the key to gold fleet qualification on Wednesday in the week-long 12-race event.

The massive fleet is split into two “flights” for the first three days of the series which will then determine the Gold fleet cut, building towards Saturday's final day.

Ewan McMahon 'unwell'

Unfortunately, as Afloat previously reported, Ireland's second team member Ewan McMahon of Howth Yacht YC is reported as 'unwell'. Although he did sail, critically he is unable to hike in the 12-17 knot conditions, according to the team camp.

After a 32nd and 40th places for the day, McMahon lies in the bottom half of the fleet in 72nd place overall.

Overall, the rankings show Hungary's Jonatan Vadnai leading from Croatia's Tonci Stipanovic with Nik Aaron Willim of Germany in third. 

Results are here

The ILCA7 is the Men's single-handed event for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Qualification for the Marseille regatta in just over two years' time will be at next year's combined Sailing World Championships in The Netherlands with another opportunity at the 2024 worlds.

Finn Lynch will seek to repeat or better his 2021 World Championships silver medal in Monday's first races of the ILCA7/Laser World Championships at Riviera Nayarit, Mexico, in a fleet of 125 sailors from 45 nations.

Lynch (26) and second Irish Paris 2024 campaigner Ewan McMahon (21), along with Irish coach Vasilij Žbogar arrived in Mexico a week ago.

As regular Afloat readers will know, last November's silver medal was a career-high for Lynch and Ireland's best-ever men's Laser result. The result also provided the Carlow man with much-needed funding. On Monday, he embarks on his silver medal defence with Sport Ireland podium funding of €40k per annum in his hip pocket.

The National Yacht Club ace is also boosted by some promising early season results that saw him take fourth in Palma in April (while nursing an arm injury). Admittedly Lynch did not make the medal race in Hyeres later in April but still managed a top 15 finish, both high-quality results setting him up well for this week's successful world championship defence. 

Two Irish ILCA 7 campaigners, one Olympic place

Overall, It's an optimistic scenario at this stage in the Paris 2024 triennial. What's more, Ireland has the added spice of up and coming talent in Howth's McMahon.

McMahon has rapidly become Ireland's second most successful men's Laser sailor after Mark Lyttle, the Dun Laoghaire solo ace who sailed first for Ireland in the Laser in the 1996 Olympics.

Howth Yacht Club campaigner Ewan McMahon

Lynch v McMahon

As with all venues, each race track has its own characteristics. In Riviera Nayarit, the intriguing question – in an Irish context – is, with solid and steady breezes the norm, will these conditions suit Lynch or McMahon best over a 12-race series?

Lynch tends to put together an incredibly consistent series, and recently he has been coming through as the week progresses, ticking off one rival after another as they knock up a big score.

It's a winning formula, and the trickier the conditions, the more the talented Carlow man seems to thrive.

This week's challenge for Ireland's number one might be that steady sea breezes could be a leveller.

Could the regatta be more of a speed test than regattas in European or venues with more unstable conditions?

Indeed, the younger MacMahon is a tall athlete with excellent boat speed (especially downwind). In this regatta, any tactical or experience deficits (expected at his age) might not be such an issue.

From various reports (including comments from his coach), McMahon still has to improve his upwind tactics and position on first beats, convert good speed, and get into top-10 windward mark rounding.

After Palma's April regatta, Zbogar said, "The results don't show it, but it's only some small mistakes keeping him out of the top 20". "He isn't losing any places on the downwind, but we need to work on executing the upwind legs better."

The Hague 2023 and Paris 2024

It sets up an increasingly competitive scenario where the two Irish sailors will attempt to qualify Ireland for the single place in Paris 2024 at the first opportunity in The Hague in August 2023. It's still not popular in some circles to mention that it is a qualification standard Ireland failed to make for Tokyo.

From this tiny Irish squad of just two, what happens if we have two sailors right on top of their game in the World's top 20?

Does the dynamic change? Does Lynch have to start considering his Irish competition in earnest, possibly negatively impacting his own programme?

Early answers to these questions probably lie on the Vallarta race track and the defence of Ireland's best-ever men's Laser result starting this Monday.

Monday and Tuesday will form the qualifying round of the regatta with two races daily scheduled that will decide the Gold fleet finalists before the final result is decided on Saturday.

Update: Sunday, May 22 8 pm:  Ewan McMahon is reported as 'unwell'. The Irish camp says he is under the care of the squad physio but the 21- year-old has already missed two days of training. 

This week's confirmatory announcement of Sport Ireland High-Performance funding allocation is good news for sailors who have benefited from improved performances and an increase in the amounts awarded to International and World Class level athletes.

Finn Lynch's silver medal at last year's ILCA 7 World Championships has promoted him to the Podium level which awards him €40,000 per annum through to Paris 2024. The 49er pairing of Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove is considered world-class, which brings €25,000 each.

49er duo Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove will receive €25,000 each per annum to Paris 2024 Photo: Sailing Energy

Seafra Guilfoyle, Johnny Durcan, Aoife Hopkins, Ewan McMahon and Eve McMahon will receive International level funding of €18,000 each.

Sport Ireland High-Performance funding for Irish sailors

€3.2m for Irish Sailing

Irish Sailing's high-performance programme funding has increased by €130,000 from €3,070,000 to €3,200,000 which seems positive, but analysis of the funding increases in other sports relegates Sailing to 17th of the 21 sports awarded this funding.

Five sports (Canoeing, Judo, Taekwondo, Gymnastics and Badminton) enjoyed increases of over 100%, while eight further sports received increases of between 20% and 70%.

Irish Sailing's increase of 4%, will actually be a decrease in real terms as increased levels of inflation bite into associated costs.

Sailing, which was the second best-funded Olympic Sport for Tokyo 2020, has now fallen to fifth place in the funding rankings.

John Menton

Sydney Olympic discus thrower John Menton leads the Irish Sailing Olympic Steering Group following the retirement of Patrick Coveney.

In a statement, Irish Sailing said it will 'continue to work closely with Sport Ireland to help meet the challenges of implementing the recommendations from the Tokyo Olympic Report'.

Full Sport Ireland report here and Irish Sailing's commissioned Tokyo Independent External Review review is here

No Irish representation in the medal races at the Semaine Olympique Francaise (French Olympic Classes Week) in Hyères is a disappointment for Irish Olympic sailing efforts but there is consolation in the two top 15 finishes achieved in what is the second biggest regatta since Tokyo.

Laser/ILCA7

Carlow sailor Finn Lynch finished 13th overall in the ILCA 7 (Laser) after coming fifth in both races yesterday demonstrating he has the speed even if nursing an arm injury, missing the medal race by just 12 points.

His 21-year-old rival for Paris 2024 Ewan McMahon (Howth YC) moved up again in the fleet to finish 23rd overall, a result that confirms he is an exciting prospect and Ireland's second most successful full rig sailor since Mark Lyttle, Ireland's inaugural Laser helmsman at Atlanta 1996. 

The pair are now in preparation for the World Championships, a highlight of the year where Lynch will defend his 2021 silver medal in Mexico in May.

49er

With less wind than on previous days, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove (Howth YC and Skerries SC) finished in 15th place in the 49er class after the day’s three races. Rivals Séafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan (Royal Cork YC) finished in 30th place overall.

Full results here

The regatta concludes today Saturday 30 April.

An arm injury that proved no obstacle for Ireland's Finn Lynch when he recorded fourth overall at the first World Cup of the season earlier this month may be the reason behind the National Yacht Club's comparatively lower scores so far at France's massive 53rd Semaine Olympique Française de Hyeres. 

Lynch and Paris 2024 rival Ewan McMahon both made the Gold Fleet yesterday but have a fight for top ten medal race contention to be decided today and tomorrow (Friday) over the next four races on the Cote D'Azur.

Coach Vasilij Zbogar said, "Finn still has some issues with his arm from Palma so let’s see how it goes in the next two days".

Lynch lies in 25th overall in a fleet of 128 after finishing 13 and 2 on Wednesday. Howth Yacht Club's McMahon is in 35 overall after a 6 and 22 placing.

Germany's 2020 World Champion, Philipp Buhl took the lead and a discard advantage after Australia's Olympic champion, Matt Wearn, was UFD in the starting sequence of the second and final race of the day. They will now face each other for the first time in gold fleet, and Wearn cannot afford a slip up with Buhl's consistency in finishing 1, 3, 1, 1, 2, 1 in the six races so far.

Just behind them lies Pavlos Kontides, the first Cypriot to ever win an Olympic medal (silver at London 2012). But his 10th place in the last race also leaves him more vulnerable.

Radial 

Aoife Hopkins in the ILCA 6 (Laser Radial) ended yesterday in 40th place overall and misses out on the Gold Fleet final series of racing.

In contrast to the men's leaderboard, the women's looks wide open after Poland's Agata Barwinska finished 19th in light winds in the second race at the end of the day. Such is the state of the other huge discards in the top 10, that she still leads, just. Belgium's Emma Plaaschaert, 4th at the Tokyo Olympics, lies in second despite being 38th in the final race and Canada's Sarah Douglas, who won in Palma, is 10th after finishing 48th.

49er 

Both Irish 49er teams made the Gold Fleet in their 61-boat fleet.

Tokyo reps Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove (Howth YC and Skerries SC) are in 19th place after an 11 and 3 in the first two races, but were disqualified for being over the starting line in the third race of the day.

New pairing Séafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan (Royal Cork YC) are in 30th place overall (18, 8, 23 in today’s races).

49erfx

In the 49er FX class, Norway's Helene Noess & Marie Ronningen continue in the overall lead. The Royal Irish's Saskia Tidey of Dun Laoghaire who is competing for Team GB is lying 26th with new partner Freya Black in a fleet of 38.

Full results here