Great Britain’s Olympic hopeful Micky Beckett took advantage of a dramatic change of conditions at the 53 Trofeo Princesa Sofía Mallorca on the second day of the World Cup Series event.

Ireland's Finn Lynch also made good on a lighter Tuesday in the Bay of Palma and moved up nine places to 11th in the ILCA 7 class.

Day 2 produced such different conditions on the Bay of Palma, the sailors could have been forgiven for thinking they were racing at a different venue.

After winds gusting close to 30 knots and monster waves kicking up to three metres. the Bay of Palma dawned to light winds and flat water. Somehow the best Olympic sailors managed to make sense of all manner of wind and wave conditions, such as Beckett in the ILCA 7 men’s dinghy.

Looking to win overall for a third consecutive time, Beckett seized the lead after wins in both his heats today. This puts the Briton four points ahead of Germany's 2020 world champion Philipp Buhl.

“It is such a big change to go from the massive waves of yesterday to the light and tight stuff of today,” said Beckett.

“I was pleased to be able to do so today, leading round both windward marks. I didn’t actually extend much but I did enough to stay ahead both times.”

Beckett led Cyprus’ 2012 London silver-medallist Pavlos Kontides across the line in the first race and Ireland’s Lynch in the second.

Howth's Ewan McMahon lies 40th.

ILCA 6

Things have not gone so well so far for last year’s ILCA 6 women’s dinghy winner Marit Bouwmeester, the Netherlands sailor who already holds a full set of gold, silver and bronze medals from 2016, 2012 and 2021 respectively. The Dutch star was third in the first race yesterday after breaking a vang which she replaced only for the new one to go again forcing her to abandon the second race. Second and 10th today Bouwmeester is up to eighth whilst Belgium’s Emma Plasschaert tops the fleet.

“I liked the conditions yesterday, strong winds and big waves,” said Bouwmeester.

Ireland's Paris qualified Eve McMahon lies 23rd at the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Trophy in Mallorca Photo: Sailing Energy

“I think sailing is about consistency and doing it well in every condition so it's nice to get different conditions. Today, the first race I didn't get it quite right, and the second race was a good one.” By which she meant a second place in her qualifying group. Bouwmeester admitted that, compared with bringing up a young toddler not yet two years old, the white heat of Olympic competition can actually feel like a holiday.

Another new parent, Poland’s vice world champion Pavel Tarnowski conclusively dominated the iQFOiL men’s windsurfing fleet winning all four races whilst in the women’s fleet Norway’s Mina Mobekk leads after three.

Ireland's Paris qualified Eve McMahon lies 23rd

Formula Kite

Just over a week ago in Mar Menor, Spain, Max Maeder dominated the Formula Kite European Championship to add the title to the world title he took in The Hague last summer. Today the unstoppable 17-year-old from Singapore delivered two first places and a second. Last year’s overall Trofeo Princesa Sofia regatta winner is seven points up on Austria’s Valentin Bontus who was fourth at last year’s worlds and seventh at the Marseille test event. Bontus admits that Maeder is in a class of his own.

“I think most of us have accepted that we are in a race for second because Max has a different gear,” said Bontus. “The riders who don’t want to say it is because of pride, but at the moment Max is just unbeatable. It’s clear to see.”

That reputation of invincibility used to be part of Daniela Moroz’s story until the end of 2022. Since then the six-time women’s Formula Kite world champion has struggled to maintain that world-beating form, but the American is going well this week. Moroz won three of her four races today, to extend her lead over Australia’s Breiana Whitehead.

470 mixed dinghy

Other Olympic events have already contested their 2024 world championships, like the 470 mixed dinghy, ILCAs and the 49er skiffs. Not so the Nacra 17 mixed multihull fleet which has not raced since the Europeans in early November. They must wait until early May for their Worlds in La Grande Motte. So after a period of winter training there is some curiosity to see who has made the biggest advances.

Germany’s 2020 Olympic bronze medallists Paul Kohlhoff and Alica Stulhemmer have had to recruit a new coach in that intervening period and now have Australian double Olympian Andrew Palfrey in their corner in Palma. Counting two second places and a third, the Kiel duo lead European champions John Gimson and Anna Burnet (GBR), last year’s Sofía winners.

“Consistent starting and going the right way were key and we did that quite well,” said Kohlhoff. “It is tough to know what to expect here because we have not seen most of the fleet since the Europeans. It’s always exciting to come back together after a big winter training block. We were in Lanzarote and did a lot of racing in light and windy conditions, so it’s nice to be back racing in a big fleet like this here. And working with our new coach is inspirational who brings new ideas, new ways and a lot of experience.”

Nacra 17

While their compatriots in the 470s, ILCA 6 and 7s and 49ers have all now booked their selection for France’s home Olympic Games, Nacra 17 pair Tim Mourniac and Lou Berthomieu believe they are ahead of their rivals - although France’s process is believed to be subjective and ongoing. They know this will be a key, observed regatta whereas the Worlds on their home waters will not. They lie fourth after today with four-time world champion Billy Besson, who represented France in the class in Rio 2016, now sailing with Noa Ancian, lying in eighth.

“We were looking to not start with too many points on the board from the first day and we achieved that,” smiled Mourniac, past youth world champion.

“Our selection process has been going on since we were here last year and Hyères [Semaine Olympique Francaise] we know will be important. Nothing is mathematical so we don’t really know where we are, all we know is every regatta is super important. We keep pushing all the time trying to stay in the top five, top ten all the time. But we think the best French crew will be selected before the Worlds.”

49er 

In the 49er skiffs, being able to risk on the busy start line and get to the left was the key ingredient. Not easy to execute in such a tough fleet, but somehow it worked for Aussies Jack Ferguson and Max Paul who landed three wins and an eighth in the Yellow fleet to take the overall lead in the men’s skiff. Paul was second last year at this regatta crewing for Laser Olympic champion from Rio 2016, Tom Burton.

Ireland's Seafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan lie 25th after day two of Trofeo Princesa Sofía Trophy in Mallorca Photo: Sailing Energy

Having recently lost the trials for Paris 2024 to Jim Colley and Shaun Connor, Paul got back into the 49er with his previous helmsman Ferguson, who was delighted to be racing again, never mind dominating the day. “It was a left-hand track for us all day and the key focus was to get off the start line quick and get left. We executed that more times than we didn’t ,and so it is a good outcome right now. This is my first time back in the 49er since the Worlds last year and I used to sail with Max, so we are pretty happy with the first day. I am just here because I missed 49er sailing.”

49er FX fleet

The 49er FX fleet launched later in the afternoon as did the 470s. The women’s skiffs only managed two races before the thermal wind got too light. Norway’s Helen Naess and Marie Ronnigen won both heats to take the 49erFX lead. In the 470s, Germany’s husband-and-wife duo Malte and Anastasiya Winkel are still top, ahead of Britain’s Vita Heathcote and Chris Grube, recently selected for the Games.

Qualifying races continue for all 10 events on Wednesday morning, with first races scheduled to start at 1100 hours.

Mark Lyttle’s devotion to the Laser/ILCA class is truly world league, as he has continued to race the boat for decades, from success at junior level right up to becoming World Grand Master Champion on Dublin Bay in 2018. There’s no sign of letup, as February’s ILCA World Masters in Australia saw him regularly on the podium, and he finished a sunlit but extremely demanding series with the Bronze in the main division to make him an Afloat.ie “Sailor of the Month”.   

With a final day turn of speed, the National Yacht Club's Finn Lynch won the bronze medal at the ILCA 7 European Championships in Athens today (Friday, 23rd February 2024) after a three-race final day that ended the weather-hit event.

The Carlow sailor had a consistent day of top-ten results to end the eight-race regatta on equal points with Hungary’s Jonatan Vadnai, who took the silver on a tie-break.

This marks Vadnai’s second Senior Europeans medal, following his Bronze win in 2021, while it’s Lynch’s first Senior European prize in his career.

Finn Lynch turned on the speed in the final three races at the 2024 European Championships in Greece to come from 14th place to third overall to win his first Senior European prize of ILCA 7 in his career. Photo: Matias Capizanno

Both boats were just four points off Gold, where Valterri Uusiltalo topped the 141-boat fleet for Finland.

Lynch now adds a Bronze to his world championship silver at Barcelona in 2021 as he aims to secure the Irish place for the Men's single-handed event at the Paris 2024 Olympics this Summer.

Green Rebel McMahon

The Rio 2016 Olympic veteran was in the second round of a selection trials series with Ewan McMahon (Howth YC), who ended this week's event in 17th place and, at times, was leading Lynch.

While a third regatta was included in the Irish selection trials series, Lynch cannot be beaten and is set to be nominated for Paris.

There were plaudits in Athens for McMahon's independent Green Rebel campaign, too. The recently graduated UCD Engineering student rose to the challenge this week and regained Sport Ireland funding status for any future campaign for LA2028.

A race start on the final day of racing at the ILCA 7 European Championships in Athens Photo: Matias Capizzano

"It was very tricky, very up and down for the three races of mostly six knots, maximum eleven," commented  Lynch's Laser Coach Vasilij Zbogar. "We were hoping for a little more wind, preferably over 10 knots, where Finn definitely has an edge. But we wanted a medal here, we got a medal here, so we're happy."

Finnish sailor Valtteri Uusitalo made an impressive debut as a Senior European medalist, clinching the Gold prize by finishing atop the fleet after eight races with a total of 42 points.

"Very difficult day for me. I mean, super tricky conditions but I guess I managed to do quite well. I am very pleased with myself," Uusitalo said.

In terms of the Olympic spots at stake, Omer Vered Vilenchik and Zan Luka Zelko emerged as the winners, securing the ILCA 7 tickets for Israel and Slovenia in Paris 2024.

Top 10 ILCA 7 Senior Europeans:

Valtteri Uusitalo FIN 42 pt
Jonatan Vadnai HUN 46 pt
Finn Lynch IRL 46 pt
Finley Dickinson GBR 49 pt
Benjamin Vadnai HUN 53 pt
Dimitri Peroni ITA 59 pt
Eduardo Marques POR 61 pt
Omer Vered Vilenchik ISR 65 pt
Tonci Stipanovic CRO 73 pt
Alexandre Boite FRA 74 pt

Irish rivals Finn Lynch and Ewan McMahon have been left frustrated for the second consecutive day as their Olympic trial was postponed due to high pressure over Greece, leaving the ILCA 7 European Championships without racing in Athens today. 

The two sailors are competing in the six-day series, which also serves as part of the selection trials for the single national place already secured for the Men's single-handed event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. However, the ongoing weather conditions have been a major hurdle for the athletes.

Despite the delay, if conditions improve on Tuesday, the event organisers will attempt to sail additional races to regain the races lost from the schedule so far. The championship requires a minimum of four races to constitute an effective competition.

Lynch, who represents the National Yacht Club, and McMahon, of Howth Yacht Club, currently world-ranked 15th and 25th respectively, were afloat for several hours in their 141-boat ILCA7, waiting for the wind to arrive. 

Eve McMahon

In the women's ILCA 6 event, Eve McMahon, also of Howth YC, had no racing, though her event was able to sail a single race on Sunday to begin their series.

With four days remaining in the event schedule, the organisers are hopeful of delivering sufficient races before Friday's finale.

Ireland's Paris 2024 qualified Eve McMahon opened her account at the ILCA 6 European Championships in Athens, Greece, today with a 21st place. 

With several top rivals absent, the Howth Yacht Club teen has an excellent opportunity to build on her already impressive season.

Lithuanian sailor Viktorija Andrulyte LTU was the winner today in the Blue fleet, while Elena Vorobeva CRO did the same in the yellow one. Both sailors are also in the fight for qualifying their nations to the Olympics so it’s a double prize for them.

German sailors Julia Buesselberg GER and Pia Kuhlman GER come next with 2 points, followed by the 2023 World champion Maria Erdi HUN and Evangelia Karageorgou GRE with 3. Evangelia is also in the fight to qualify Greece for Paris 2024.

2024 World champion and reigning Olympic champion Anne-Marie Rindom DEN (1x Gold medal at the Europeans) was seventh,  the 2023 World champion Maria Erdi HUN (Bronze medalist in last Europeans in Andora) was fifth and the twice Senior European champion Agata Barwinska POL, who clinched the title in 2021 and 2022 was ninth.

Several of the latest World and European Youth medalists are also competing in Athens, eager to make their mark among the Seniors. This talented group includes Ireland's McMahon, Chiara Benini ITA, Emma Mattivi ITA, Maria Vitoria Arseni ITA, Giorgia Della Valle ITA, Shai Kakon ISR, Marilena Makri CYP, Petra Marendic CRO and Ana Moncada ESP.

17 European nations have already secured qualification for the upcoming Olympic Games in ILCA 6. These nations include:

BEL, DEN, ESP, FIN, FRA, GBR, GER, HUN, IRL, ITA, NED, NOR, POL, POR*, SUI, SWE and TUR.

Fourteen European nations are yet to qualify for the Olympics, and their sailors will be competing in Athens for the two available tickets. These nations include:

BUL (1 sailor), CRO (6 sailors), CYP (2 sailors), CZE (3 sailors), EST (3 sailors), GRE (14 sailors), ISR (4 sailors), LAT (1 sailor), LTU (1 sailor), MLT (1 sailor), ROU (1 sailor), SRB (1 sailor), SLO (2 sailors) and UKR (3 sailors).

Racing is scheduled to continue daily from Monday to Friday - weather permitting - with the opening round comprising a qualification series of at least four races to decide Gold fleet.

The top ten finishers will compete for the medal race final on Friday to decide the podium.

As the second trial for the Irish Paris 2024 nomination was becalmed in Greece today at the ILCA7 European Championships, the February World Rankings reveal both Irish trialists are in the top 25.

Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club), who finished ninth at January's World Championships, is ranked 15th, while Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) reaches a new high at 25 in his independent 'Green Rebel' campaign.

High pressure over Athens left competitors without racing on the opening day of the Championships (Sunday, 18th February).

Lynch and McMahon were amongst the 141-boat ILCA7 class left waiting for the breeze to arrive. Although the fleet eventually went afloat, no racing was possible.

Top class sailing from Finn Lynch put the National Yacht Club sailor into the medal race of the ILCA 7 World Championships in Adelaide, Australia in January and puts him 15th in the world rankings Photo: Jack Fletcher

A similar forecast is predicted for Monday, though there are indications of wind for Tuesday.

Lynch has the upper hand on McMahon after the first of three trials at the Australian World Championships, but with a light wind forecast and some significant absences in Athens this week, there is an opportunity for McMahon.

As Afloat reported last November, despite achieving the necessary published criteria at a recent World Cup, the McMahon campaign says that his application for Sport Ireland funding for 2024 was "disallowed following a decision by Irish Sailing (IS) to invalidate the event’s qualification status".

The ISA then determined that the World Cup event in Almere did not meet the “minimum standard of fleet” to qualify as a carding event under the 2024 Carding Scheme rules.

Whatever the criteria may be, with only two sailors campaigning, February 2024's world rankings represent a standard McMahon's campaign will no doubt say merits his inclusion on the national team, which currently has only one ILCA 7 member.

Irish sailors Finn Lynch and Ewan McMahon are battling it out for a spot in the Men's ILCA 7 single-handed event at the Paris 2024 Olympic regatta. With just five months to go before the event begins in Marseilles, the two are gearing up for the second of three regattas at the ILCA 7 European Championships in Athens next week.

It'll be an interesting week if Carlow's Lynch – after finishing ninth overall in last month's ILCA 7 class world championships in Adelaide, Australia – can hold form. He could arguably expect a top-five finish as the Athens fleet does not appear to be as high quality as Adelaide. Only three of the World Championship medal race competitors are entered (Lynch, Kontides and Jurassic), with a host of World and European athletes marked absent, such as British ace Micky Beckett from Wales, his training partner Sam Whaley of GBR, Tomassgard of Norway, Bernaz of FRA, Bos of NED and Buhl of GER.

Lynch hailing from the National Yacht Club on Dublin Bay holds the edge in the Irish trials but 'Green Rebel' independent campaigner McMahon, from Howth Yacht Club, is not too far behind and is expected to put up a stiff challenge at the upcoming event in Greece.

'Green Rebel' independent campaigner Ewan McMahon of Howth 

With a total of 141 boats participating in the event, the competition is sure to be intense. A strong showing by McMahon could leave the pair needing the French Olympic Week event in April to decide the Irish Sailing nomination to the Olympic Federation of Ireland.

The trials will be decided on a high-points scoring basis that incentivizes both sailors to concentrate on their best regatta score rather than winning the place for Paris 2024. Lynch, who previously won Silver at the 2021 World Championship in Barcelona, is keen to secure his spot in the Olympics after missing qualification for the Tokyo Games.

Despite the notoriously demanding nature of the Men's single-handed event, Lynch is raring to go and has his sights firmly set on Olympic glory. If he can hold off McMahon and secure his place in the Irish team, he'll be one step closer to achieving his dream.

Team GB sailor Micky Beckett believes he can still beat all-conquering Aussie Matt Wearn at the Olympics after banking bronze at the World Championships.

The Welsh star, whose home port is the Irish seaport of Pembroke, overcame a tough start in Adelaide to reach the podium yet again at a major event in the ILCA 7 boat class.

Beckett - already selected for this summer’s Games - brushed off a penalty in qualifying to win bronze with 41 points, an ocean ahead of fourth place.

“It was a hell of a week,” said Beckett, from Solva, Pembrokeshire. “The task to go one better than silver last year was always going to be enormous, even without the circumstances that we faced.

“The conditions were familiar, but it still was not a job done, I had one unfortunate rules incident on day one and started in tenth.

“I had to work my way up through the field and it was absolutely gruelling. It was the toughest week of sailing of my life. I’m battered and bruised but to have the composure to finish that high up in the field in conditions that don’t suit me is very pleasing.”

Beckett’s points tally in the 11-race regatta was more than enough to beat Germany’s Philipp Buhl, who finished fourth with 65. But gold standard still belongs to Wearn, out on his own with three race wins and only two counting finishes outside of the top three.

Wearn overtook Beckett to win gold at last year’s worlds and on Olympic waters in Marseille at the Test Event, with this the latest chapter in a compelling rivalry.

ILCA7 WORLDS - 30-1-2024 - 02338

“Matt has clearly set the benchmark for what needs to be done to win,” said Beckett. “He sails in a consistently good way and often, not far off perfection.

“But I know I can beat him, particularly in the kind of conditions we’re going to get in the Mediterranean. There’s a bit of work to do to get there but it’s motivating to have him setting such a high benchmark. Australia is a very strong nation across the board.

“To win the biggest Championships, it’s all about consistency. It’s not that attractive a thing to work on, but winning the top regattas is about putting out 11 solid races.

“I’m good at doing eight or nine at the moment. I have to work out how to stay out of trouble in those other two and how to put together the kind of consistent series that’s going to challenge Matt.”

The opening day took place in glamour conditions, with Beckett ending it in seventh but Swanage's Sam Whaley frustrated after seeing the second race called off when he was leading by a significant margin.

“Moments like that do reassure you that I’m doing the right thing and on the right path, it was only an act of nature that stopped me from winning it,” Whaley (pictured below) reflected. “It’s unlucky but that’s the sport we’re in.”

Beckett jumped into second place with a pair of wins in light winds on day three as Whaley finished an impressive second in the sixth race of the 11-race regatta.

A gusty fourth day brought a massive physical test, but Beckett was able to stay in touch, trailing Wearn by just one point at that stage.

Wearn took a nine-point lead into the medal race that he went on to win, with Beckett placing fifth.

Whaley led the rest of the British Sailing Team in finishing 18th, with Dan Whiteley coming 45th, James Percival-Cooke 60th and Fin Dickinson 72nd.

Dickinson, from Hayling Island, said: “It’s been a tricky week. I don’t think I clicked with this venue very well, I never found myself doing things that resulted in me ending up near the front of the fleet. It’s not particularly an event-focused year for me, I’m just trying to work on my fitness.”

The ILCA 7 squad now have a quick turnaround to the European Championships in Athens later this month.

“I’d really hope that at the Europeans I can show what I can really do, that’s the perfect place to do it I think, straight after this, still hungry to do well and do as best as you can," said Percival-Cooke.

Beckett will test himself against the best on two further occasions before the ILCA 7 racing at the Olympics begins on 1 August.

He will return to action at the traditional European curtain-raiser, the prestigious Trofeo Princesa Sofia in Palma, from 29 March to 6 April.

French Olympic Week at Hyeres, a regatta he describes as a ‘half-time check-in’, follows from 22-29 April and acts as the last chance qualifier in other boat classes.

Beckett does not need to worry about qualification or selection having been part of an initial group of ten sailors named to Team GB in October.

“[Being selected] definitely gives you that peace of mind,” said Beckett. “All it’s about now getting to the Games in the best possible shape to win the gold medal.”

In a show of strength in the world's hottest dinghy class, Australian Matt Wearn successfully defended his ILCA 7 Men's World Championship title on home waters after an epic 11-race strong wind battle.

Wearn wrapped up the Adelaide championships with a substantial ten-point margin over Norway's Hermann Tomasgaard in second on 34 points and Britain's Michael Beckett in third on 41.

The top three in the 153-boat fleet had the podium positions locked away ahead of the medal race, but the rest of the top ten had some minor reshuffling.

Ireland's Finn Lynch of the National Yacht Club earned a coveted medal race place and finished ninth overall to secure his third top ten result at world championships in four years (including a silver medal in 2021).

Finn Lynch of the National Yacht Club earned his third top ten result at the ILCA 7 Men's World Championship in four years Photo: Jack Fletcher

"Finn fought to the end and ninth overall is a good result," commented his coach Vasilij Zbogar. "It’s another solid performance, and we are getting closer and closer to the top guys in strong winds, so that's good news."

The Rio 2016 Olympian has already qualified Ireland for Paris 2024, and this world championship is the first of a three-event selection trials series to decide the nomination to the Olympic Federation of Ireland for the national team.

Ireland's second contender in the Gold fleet, Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club), closed out his regatta with 29th place in the single final fleet race, leaving him 41st overall.

The Dublin sailor is campaigning independently to challenge Lynch for the Paris 2024 Team Ireland place in the Men's single-handed event.

The next event on the ILCA 7 calendar is the European Championships in Greece in just a few week's time.

Results below and replay the medal race here

Ireland's Finn Lynch will take a coveted place in the medal race final of the ILCA 7 Mens World Championships on Wednesday after finishing eighth overall after four gold fleet races in Adelaide, Australia.

Racing in strong wind conditions, the National Yacht Club sailor recovered from a black flag disqualification score on Monday in the single discard regatta to post a 9 and 21 to move up from ninth to eighth overall on 79 points in the 153-boat fleet.

Big breeze and steep swells have been on the menu most of the week as Adelaide provided testing championship essentials for the world's hottest dinghy fleet. Conditions on the final day were the most spectacular of the week with winds gusting to 30 knots.

In the first race of the day, Lynch made a promising start but unfortunately capsized midway through the race. Despite the setback, he managed to recover quickly but found himself trailing by over 30 places behind the race leaders. In a commendable effort, Lynch managed to regain some ground and finished the race in 21st position, minimizing the damage to his overall standing.

In the second race, with the wind at its strongest, the Rio 2016 veteran returned to his more usual form, serving up a ninth place, his seventh top ten result of the ten races sailed since last Friday.

Lynch is on course to secure his third top ten result at world championship level in four years (including a silver medal in 2021). The best outcome he can aim for in the event is sixth overall, as the top three boats are already certain of podium places after the single-medal race final.

The regatta concludes with a top 10 medal race on Wednesday, with that race score worth double points and cannot be discarded.

Ireland's second sailor in Adelaide, Ewan McMahon, scored 36.0 and (41.0) to lie 41st overall in the first of three Irish Olympic Trials for the Paris 2024 Regatta in the men's singlehanded class.

Reigning champion Matt Wearn of Australia leads into the medal race with 22 points from Normway's Hermann Tomasgaard on 30 with Britain's Michael Beckett on 31.

Results below