All six of Ireland's Olympic sailing team bar one are in action at the final World Cup sailing competition ahead of Rio 2016 gets underway this week in Weymouth this week.

Ireland’s Olympic veterans from four years ago will be first into action on Wednesday morning. The venue is the notoriously windy London 2012 Olympic site though the sailors are preparing for completely different conditions expected in Brazil.

Annalise Murphy in the women’s single-handed Laser Radial event will face all three medallists from her event in 2012 when she narrowly missed a place on the podium. China’s Lijia Xu (Gold) along with The Netherlands’ Marit Bouwmeester (Silver) and Belgium’s Evi Van Acker (Bronze) are all on form but are in turn are joined by challengers such as Britain’s Alison Young, the recently crowned world champion.

Newcomer Aoife Hopkins (18) is also in Weymouth for more competition experience at world-class level after unsuccessfully challenging Murphy for the Irish place in Rio during trials earlier this year but with the radial worlds in Dun Laoghaire in July now the next target.

Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern in the men’s skiff 49er class will be seeking to make good on their Gold medal performance at the Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma in early April with another podium result to boost their confidence before final training for Rio in August commences. However, four-times unbeaten world champions Peter Burling and Blair Tuke from New Zealand are not expected to compete in Weymouth this week.

The women’s skiff event makes its debut with the 49erFX class at Rio 2016 and Ireland’s Andrea Brewster and Saskia Tidey are aiming to build on recent strong individual race performances at recent major regattas following an injury-enforced break at the start of the year. The pair will be using this week’s regatta to improve consistency across their series with the aim of reaching the medal race final.

Absent from Weymouth is Finn Lynch, the 20-year old rising star of Irish performance sailing who recently won a three-way selection trial to be nominated for Team Ireland. His event in Rio is the men’s single-handed Laser standard class and the Carlow native is currently at a three-week training camp in Croatia. Inclusion in the Irish Providence squad for Rio 2016 marks the high-point of an eight-year career that to-date includes world and youth titles.

268 boats from 40 nations are taking part in ten disciplines, many featuring athletes expected to be contesting the Olympic regatta in two months time. Ireland is competing in three of the ten disciplines the Laser Radial, the 49er and the 49erFX.

The four-day opening series starts on Wednesday (8th June) while the top ten boats in each discipline will contest a double-points medal race final on Sunday.

Sailing World Cup Weymouth and Portland has a poetic story bubbling under the surface as the Rio 2016 Olympic Games get ever closer.

In the home of the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition, Weymouth and Portland, the Sailing World Cup is the last opportunity for fleet racing at a recognised regatta for the majority of the sailors before the torch gets handed over to the Marina da Gloria for Rio 2016. One Olympic venue straight to the next.

It may be the last big regatta before the Games, but for some sailors it's also the first since they got the news that they would have the honour of representing their nation this summer.

Two sailors in that category are New Zealand's Laser sailor Sam Meech and Australia's Jake Lilley in the Finn. Something else they share, relief.

"It's really important to get through the selection process, it takes about 18 months and it does start to weigh on you a little bit, so to get the nod is a bit of a relief,” said Lilley.

With relief evident and selection confirmed the focus for Lilley is now, as simple as it sounds, racing, "I'm working on a bit of race process here [at the Sailing World Cup]. Most of our equipment is in Brazil right now so the main focus is on racing and not the equipment set up so much. The calibre of the fleet here is full of guys close to the top end so it's all about racing and execution. This is the first and last regatta before Rio since the selection.”

In his 'first and last regatta', Lilley will compete against formidable opponents such as Great Britain's four-time world champion Giles Scott, France's London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Jonathan Lobert and Finland's Tapio Nirkko in the Finn Sailing World Cup fleet.

In another strong fleet and echoing the thoughts of his Trans-Tasman neighbour, Meech also felt the weight lift from his shoulders with his national selection confirmed, "It's fantastic and it's a pressure release which has been building since half way through last year.”

Again with the same train of thought as the Aussie towards the Sailing World Cup timing, Meech said, "It's the last big race for all us really and there are some things I want to work on before I head back out to train in Rio. The fleet looks pretty good. There are a lot of the top guys here so there should be some good racing.”

An area that Meech's preparations differ is in the processes the Kiwi has to get used to, "The fleet size will be very similar to that of the Games so in that respect this regatta is fantastic but working one on one with the coach is a bit different as there is usually a team of us. That's a bit strange.”

Meech won't be totally alone in Rio as compatriot Andy Maloney will be in attendance to act as a training partner, but the coaching will be solely focused on him as there is only one spot per country in each Rio 2016 fleet. This is a big step out of the comfort zone for Meech who usually has a team to rely upon, "There has been five or six of us in the squad every time I have been sailing. It feels really weird not having the other guys here and training with them.”

Whether comfortable or not, both Meech and Lilley will be looking to take the opportunity presented to them at Weymouth and Portland to race in high calibre fleets in the home of London 2012, before they head to the next adventure of Rio 2016.

Getting used to the processes, the similar size fleets, the high calibre opponents and racing in the last big regatta before the Olympic Sailing Competition are all achievable steps for every sailor, including Meech and Lilley who have their national selection confirmed.

For the rest, it is the final chance to test against the future Olympians and push for a Sailing World Cup medal.

Britain's Alison Young has written her name into the sailing history books, becoming the first British woman to win a World Championship title in a solo Olympic dinghy class. Annalise Murphy finished third in the silver fleet and Aoife Hopkins four places behind her. The end of the championship also marks the conclusion of the Irish Olympic trial that has been won by Annalise who now takes Ireland's sole Rio berth in the Radial class. 

While Murphy finished ahead of Hopkins in each of the three regattas in the trials, Mexico saw the margin tighten to just four places in that event.

However, the overall selection trials score was comfortably in Murphy’s favour.

“Congratulations to Annalise for winning the trials that confirm her as the best Laser Radial sailor in Ireland,” said James O’Callaghan, ISA Performance Director. “Aoife also sailed a great contest and she is clearly a prospect for 2020.”

London Olympian Young, whose previous World Championship best was fourth in 2012, claimed an emphatic last race victory over USA's Paige Railey to seal Laser Radial World Championship glory in Vallarta, Mexico, on Wednesday and provide a huge boost to her Rio preparations with 107 days to go until the 2016 Opening Ceremony.

After a hard-fought regatta where the overall lead changed daily, it all came down to just a single point in the end. The 28-year-old Young held her nerve to take her third race win of the week in the 13th and final race of the regatta, relegating erstwhile leader Railey into the silver medal position by the narrowest of margins.

Shirley Robertson claimed 2000 Olympic gold in the Europe class, which was then the women's one-person Olympic dinghy, but a World Championship title in that event eluded her. The Laser Radial has since replaced the Europe on the Games programme, and Young becomes the first female British sailor to win a World Championship in an Olympic single-handed dinghy event. Penny Way won windsurfing World Championship gold in 1990.

Final top ten:

1. Alison Young, GBR, 42 points
2. Paige Railey, USA, 43
3. Anne-Marie Rindom, DEN, 50
4. Marit Bouwmeester, NED, 54
5. Gintare Volungeviciute Scheidt, LTU, 68
6. Erika Reineke, USA, 84
7. Lijia Xu , CHN, 90
8. Nazli Cagla Donertas, TUR, 98
9. Manami Doi, JPN, 101
10. Brenda Bowskill , CAN, 109

Full results: www.laserworlds2016.org

Annalise Murphy is third overall and three points off the overall lead of the silver fleet of the Women's Laser Radial World Championships on its final day in Mexico today. Howth Yacht Club's Aoife Hopkins is seventh overall in the same fleet and 36 points off the lead.  Today's championships conclusion on Banderas Bay marks the end of the Irish selection trial for Rio, a series that Annalise leads.

Finishing in the top five in both races yesterday, Paige Railey (USA) moved up to claim the lead in the Gold fleet at the end of Day 6. Marit Bouwmeester (NED) remains in second, followed Alison Young (GBR), Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN), and Gintare Scheidt (LTU).

Race 10 started in 8-10 knots of a southwesterly breeze under mostly clear skies on Banderas Bay. The first start in the Gold fleet led to a general recall, but they started cleanly under a black flag (disqualification for starting early) on the second attempt. The Silver fleet also had aggressive starts, with general recalls and several competitors disqualified under the black flag.

The breeze shifted to the right, and built to 16, knots as the afternoon progressed. The stronger breeze led to larger waves than we’ve seen this week, benefitting those sailors who could best work the waves.

The start of Race 11 was delayed as the westerly wind settled in. But clouds began to appear, and the wind began to fade after both fleets had started. The race committee shortened the race for both fleets after the second windward leg.

Today is the final day of the competition, with two races scheduled for each fleet. At the end of the day, the Laser Class will have a new Women’s World Champion.

Full results here

Britain's Alison Young leads the Women's Laser Radial Worlds on its penultimate day on Banderas Bay in Mexico. Ireland's Annalise Murphy from the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire leads the silver fleet after a race win yesterday afternoon. Howth Yacht Club's Aoife Hopkins is ninth in the silver fleet.

It took five attempts, but Race eight, the first race of the Finals Series, started just before 1430h under clear skies on Banderas Bay. The first attempt led to a general recall, but the three subsequent attempts faltered when Race Committee postponed during the starting sequence as the wind shifted left, then right, finally settling in from the southwest.

After a clean start for the Gold fleet, the Silver fleet had clean start on the inner loop of the trapezoid course. The wind direction remained mostly steady, and built as the afternoon progressed. Both fleets started cleanly in Race 9 and the sailors were headed to the harbor before 1700h.

The course layout didn’t change during the afternoon’s racing, but oscillations around the average led to gains and losses for the sailors. Several of the top ten competitors ended up using Race 9 as their single discard. When Race 10 is completed, a second discard becomes available.

At the end of the day, Alison Young (GBR) leads the pack, followed by Marit Bouwmeester (NED), Paige Railey (USA), Gintare Scheidt (LTU), and Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN). Only ten points separate the top five competitors, and the places will likely shuffle after tomorrow’s races, especially when the second discard becomes available. As of now, Boumeester stands to gain to the most from the second discard.

A great day of racing, and hopefully more to come in the remaining two days of the Championship.

Results are here

Both Annalise Murphy and Aoife Hopkins will complete the 71–boat Women's Laser Radial World Championship in the Silver fleet following the conclusion of the fourth and final day of qualifying races in difficult conditions yesterday. The Irish Olympic class trialists finished 40th and 46th respectively missing the top 35 cut for Gold fleet participation. The final rounds begin today and run over the remaining three days of competition on Banderas Bay, Mexico.

Looking very much like an Olympic regatta dress rehearsal, currently the top 12 places are filled by 12 different countries with some familiar names at the top of the star–studded fleet. First is Marit Bouwmeester (NED), second Paige Railey (USA) and third Alison Young (GBR).  The Olympic Gold Medallist Lijia Xu (CHN) is tenth overall.

Yesterday, the starting sequence for the first race (R7 for Yellow) began at 1400h, but a shift to the right led to a postponement.  After settling in at about 10 knots from WSW, this fleet started cleanly, but a general recall for the Blue Fleet gave time for the wind to shift back to the left. The Race committee adjusted the course and the Blue Fleet started under a black flag restriction in 12-14 knots of building breeze and clearing skies. 

1st	206333	Marit Bouwmeester	NED	(17.0)	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	3.0	2.0	26.0	9.0
2nd	197111	Paige Railey	USA	(9.0)	3.0	4.0	3.0	1.0	1.0	7.0	28.0	19.0
3rd	202411	Alison Young	GBR	(11.0)	1.0	7.0	6.0	2.0	4.0	3.0	34.0	23.0
4th	184454	Erika Reineke	USA	3.0	2.0	3.0	3.0	7.0	(37.0 BFD)	5.0	60.0	23.0
5th	202750	Gintare Volungeviciute Scheidt	LTU	8.0	2.0	4.0	2.0	6.0	(9.0)	2.0	33.0	24.0
6th	207194	Anne-Marie Rindom	DEN	(27.0)	6.0	3.0	5.0	4.0	2.0	8.0	55.0	28.0
7th	199066	Manami Doi	JPN	(13.0)	10.0	5.0	11.0	4.0	4.0	1.0	48.0	35.0
8th	204468	Brenda Bowskill	CAN	8.0	(25.0)	9.0	10.0	2.0	2.0	4.0	60.0	35.0
9th	205491	Luca Falasca	ARG	4.0	12.0	2.0	7.0	11.0	1.0	(21.0)	58.0	37.0
10th	177117	Lijia Xu	CHN	1.0	8.0	(19.0)	4.0	7.0	17.0	1.0	57.0	38.0
11th	204452	Dolores Moreira Fraschini	URU	2.0	15.0	10.0	2.0	14.0	3.0	(19.0)	65.0	46.0
12th	202441	Sara Winther

 

Full results here