Irish Olympian Eve McMahon produced a strong final-day performance to win the ILCA 6 Coaches Regatta on Dublin Bay, overturning an overnight deficit to claim overall victory in a fleet packed with Olympic sailors and international contenders.
The Howth Yacht Club sailor finished the nine-race series on 21 net points, six clear of overnight leader Charlotte Rose of the USA, after posting scores of 2, 1 and 3 in Sunday's concluding races.
The four-day regatta brought together some of the world's leading ILCA sailors for a final test ahead of the ILCA World Championships, which will be sailed on Dublin Bay later this summer.
Final Countdown — The ILCA 6 fleet approaches the start line under the RaceSense electronic race management system. The technology was used throughout the Coaches Regatta to identify OCS starters and record finishing positions ahead of this summer's World Championships. Photo: Afloat
Sunday's racing took place in a light north-easterly breeze of 6–8 knots over a flat sea state, offering yet another set of conditions after competitors experienced north-westerly winds, sea breezes and strong tidal influences during the previous three days.
Digital Race Office — A Vacaros display shows the electronic race management system used during the ILCA Coaches Regatta. The technology enabled immediate OCS identification and automated finish recording during nine races on Dublin Bay
McMahon's victory was one of several strong Irish performances. Finn Lynch finished fourth overall in the ILCA 7 fleet, narrowly missing the podium after finishing level on points with Croatia's two-time Olympic silver medallist Tonči Stipanović.
The ILCA 7 title went to Britain's Elliot Hanson, whose consistency across the nine-race series earned him overall victory on 29 net points. Cyprus Olympic silver medallist Pavlos Kontides was second on 31 points, with Stipanović third on 40.
The standard of competition reflected the significance of the event as a warm-up regatta for the forthcoming World Championships. Among the competitors were Olympic medallists, Olympians and national team sailors from Ireland, Britain, Australia, Croatia, Hungary, Cyprus, New Zealand and the United States.
Race management throughout the regatta utilised the Vacaros RaceSense electronic officiating system. Organisers reported that the technology enabled immediate identification of OCS starters and automated finish recording, eliminating many of the challenges associated with manually recording large ILCA fleets crossing the finish line at speed.
Race Officer David Lovegrove described the four-day regatta as a valuable exercise for both sailors and organisers ahead of the Worlds.
"All in all, it was a great four days of racing for both competitors and the organising team in advance of the Worlds later this summer," he said.
The event was run from the National Yacht Club. Lovegrove was assisted on the committee vessel by Cathy MacAleaveyr, Brian Craig, Don O'Dowd and Scott Flanigan of Vacaros, while Paul Barrington managed the pin-end RIB and the coaches laid the race marks.
Irish Gold — Ireland's Eve McMahon (centre) celebrates victory in the ILCA 6 Coaches Regatta at the National Yacht Club. McMahon overturned an overnight deficit on the final day to secure overall honours ahead of USA sailor Charlotte Rose (left) and Britain's Daisy Collingridge (right)
ILCA 6 Top Five
1. Eve McMahon (IRL) – 21 pts
2. Charlotte Rose (USA) – 27 pts
3. Daisy Collingridge (GBR) – 36 pts
4. Matilda Nicholls (GBR) – 41 pts
5. Mara Stransky (AUS) – 42 pts
Olympic Podium — ILCA 7 Coaches Regatta medallists at the National Yacht Club. Britain's Elliot Hanson (centre) claimed overall victory after nine races, with Cyprus Olympic silver medallist Pavlos Kontides (left) second and Croatia's two-time Olympic silver medallist Tonči Stipanović (right) third. The regatta served as a key warm-up event for this summer's ILCA World Championships on Dublin Bay
ILCA 7 Top Five
1. Elliot Hanson (GBR) – 29 pts
2. Pavlos Kontides (CYP) – 31 pts
3. Tonči Stipanović (CRO) – 40 pts
4. Finn Lynch (IRL) – 40 pts
5. Sam Whaley (GBR) – 48 pts
