Dublin and Cork crews have clinched two bronze medals in a highly successful outcome at the youth world sailing championships in Brazil this afternoon. 

Sienna Wright of Howth Yacht Club took bronze in the female one-person dinghy, and Ben O’Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain (Royal Cork Yacht Club and National Yacht Club) were bronze medalists in the doublehanded male skiff class.

As Afloat reported previously, going into the final day of the annual competition today, both Irish boats were outside medal positions, though delivered under pressure with several rivals all contesting the podium in an event dubbed the junior Olympics of sailing.

In the female single-handed event sailed in ILCA6 dinghies, Wright delivered a highly consistent series and led her 45-boat class after the first day of racing and never dropped below fourth position over nine races sailed.

A single point kept her from the silver spot while Roos Wind of The Netherlands overcame some weighty scores thanks to a string of race wins to take Gold.

Wind produced her fourth consecutive bullet to win ILCA 6 female gold.

Wind finished just four points ahead of Emma Mattivi (ITA) and a further point in front of Wright at the conclusion of a dramatically close competition.

It was that trio that comprised the top three finishers in the final race, with Wright finishing second ahead of Mattivi.

That proved enough for the Irish sailor to take the final podium spot ahead of Petra Marendic (CRO), who could only finish ninth in the final race of the competition.

Ben O’Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain (Royal Cork Yacht Club and National Yacht Club) won Youth World bronze in the 29er class in Brazil Photo: World Sailing

In the male skiff, sailed in 29er dinghies, O’Shaughnessy and Spain (Royal Cork Yacht Club and National Yacht Club) rounded off their season that included both the European and Irish championship titles in the 29er skiff with a third place in Buzios.

The pair sailed a consistent series, moving up in the rankings from seventh to fifth to third on the final day.

Champions Hugo Revil and Karl Devaux signed off from the 29er male/mixed class with a bullet in the final race of the competition.

The French pair opened the day with a pair of second-place finishes to put themselves in a commanding position for gold, before completing with a sixth and a victory to finish in style en route to their second world title.

“It feels really good,” said Devaux. “The conditions were really good, strong wind which we really like: it’s so cool.”

It meant they finished 16 points ahead of Alex Demurtas and Giovanni Santi (ITA) who earned silver, while O’Shaughnessy and Spain (claimed bronze.

Demurtas and Santi took the day’s opening bullet before Zeb van Dorst and Michiel Dam (NED) claimed victory in the day’s second and third races.

Results are here