#isafyw12 – Hopes of landing Ireland's first Youth Sailing World Championship medal since 1996 were kept very much alive today by National YC Dun Laoghaire's Finn Lynch when the young Laser Radial helm responded perfectly to the requests of his experienced coach and delivered an eighth and fourth on the penultimate day's racing at the 2012 Four Star Pizza ISAF Youth World Sailing Championship on Dublin Bay.
Whilst many of his key rivals in the 58 boat Laser Radial Boys fleet struggled for such consistency across another two challenging races in moderate 8-13kts breezes, Lynch elevated himself to third place overall with just one final race scheduled tomorrow (Friday).
First and second steps on the podium are very much out of reach for the 16 year old helm who is racing at his first Youth Sailing World Championship and he faces a tough showdown with the Norwegian Hermann Tomasgaard who is only one point behind. While Lynch has risen to the occasion, sailing a mature regatta considering his years, Tomaasgard is the reigning Laser Radial Youth World Champion and was one of the favourites to lift this ISAF Youth Sailing World title.
"Those results were pretty good by comparison." Smiled Lynch, " I was trying to risk a bit more again today so that I can get up there, and that seemed to work. I think I was smart enough in my risks though. I was in 15th in the first race and caught up to seventh which was good."
" Then in the second race I went all out for the pin end of the start line and won it and so I felt good from there."
Lynch is certain he has felt no home advantage: " I really have not felt that comfortable at all, not in any of the races just because it has been so unpredictable. I had some luck today. "
" It is so unpredictable I can go out there and get a 40th tomorrow, so I will just concentrate on the same things and try and get a result."
" It has been a great event. I have not felt so on top of the weather because it has been so changeable, but it feels really good now today. Now there is so much support for me it is really nice and it all helps. I feel like I have a bit of momentum going into tomorrow. There has been no extra pressure and I feel like I have peaked at the right time, peaking towards the end of the regatta."
In the Laser Radial Girls class Ireland's Sophie Murphy remains in 14th place after a mixed day on the water. After concentrating on her school studies this winter and spring she has raced fewer regattas than many of her rivals, but nonetheless has remained solid in the top third of the fleet.
The young Cork 420 duo of Patrick Crosbie and Grattan Roberts lie 15th after finishing their penultimate day with a seventh, though a bad start in the earlier race left them struggling to a 21st.
"We were dead on the start line, left behind with no speed which was not good. But the second race was so much better." Said Roberts.
With one race left scheduled to be sailed two titles have already been decided. First ashore to the Royal St George YC slipway were the young Barcelona duo of Carlos Robles and Florian Trittel who successfully defended the 29er skiff class title that they won last year in Croatia.
And in the SL16 catamaran class GBR's Rupert White and Tom Britz, current overall world champions in the class, secured the gold medal with a flourish, winning both races today to set up an unassailable lead.
White, grandson of 1976 Oympic Tornado gold medallist Reg White, won bronze in this class last year in Croatia with a different crew.
ISAF Youth Worlds 2012
Day FIVE results (& overall points)
Laser Radial (Boys)
1st - Mitchell Kiss (USA) 95pts 2nd – Mark Spearman (AUS) 108pts 3rd – Finn Lynch (IRE) 125pts
Laser Radial (Girls)
1st – Julia Carlsson (SWE) 55pts 2nd – Line Flem Host (NOR) 74pts 3rd- Cecilia Zorzi (ITA) 88pts
420 (Boys)
1st – Guillaume Pirouelle/Valentin Sipan (FRA) 49pts 2nd - Pieter Goedhart/Lars Van Stekelenborg (NED) 59pts 3rd - David Charles/Alex Charles (ESP) 62pts
420 (Girls)
1st – Ilaria Paternoster/Benedetta Disalle (ITA) 40pts 2nd – Carrie Smith/Ella Clark (AUS) 41pts 3rd- Annabel Vose/Kirstie Urwin (GBR) 51pts
29ers
1st - Carlos Robles/Florian Trittel (ESP) 20pts 2nd – Lucal Rual/Thomas Biton (FRA) 28pts 3rd – Klaus Lange/Mateo Majdalani (ARG) 34pts
SL16 Catamaran
1st –Rupert White/Tom Britz (GBR) 18pts 2nd – Martin Manzoil Lowy/Kim Vidal (BRA) 35pts 3rd - Paul Darmanin/Lucy Copeland (AUS) 37pts
RSX Boys
1st – Wonwood Cho (KOR) 29pts 2nd- Matta Camboni ( ITA) 29pts 3rd – Maxime Labat (FRA) 58pts
RSX Girls
1st - Saskia Sills (GBR) 28pts 2nd – Naomi Cohen (ISR) 41pts 3rd – Veronica Fanciulli (ITA) 53pts
Irish Team Standings after DAY FIVE
Radial Boys
Finn Lynch – 3rd (125pts)
Radial Girls
Sophie Murphy – 14th (144pts)
420 Boys
Patrick Crosbie/Grattan Roberts – 15th (141pts)
SL16 Boys
Alexander Rumball/Rory McStay - 9th (90pts)
29er Boys
Sean Donnelly/Tadgh Donnelly – 11th (113pts)
