Ireland's Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) has now moved into second overall in his men's one-person dinghy event as the series draws towards its conclusion on Saturday.
The Carlow sailor enjoyed a close battle with Britain's Michael Beckett in the first race of the day when the leading pair duelled throughout the 50-minute contest, which the Irish sailor led for the most.
Lynch won the race convincingly, and the score moved him into second overall, while Beckett's second place extended his points lead.
"When you're leading a race like that you really try to just keep the tactics and strategy in mind," said Lynch afterwards. "If any unhelpful thoughts come in you just have to bat them away and refocus."
"It’s good to have a medal race where I'm challenging for a medal so I'm looking forward to it," Lynch continued. "It was really great to race against Mickey at the front of the fleet - I was very happy to take the win."
Race Win for Ewan McMahon
A five-hour wait afloat for the wind to return saw Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club), Lynch's rival for LA2028, take an early leaders’ group position, which he converted to first place to finish off his ten-race series in style.
While the win moved him up to 13th overall, he recorded a back-of-fleet result earlier that was the worst of his series, meaning he missed a place in the medal race final by 12 points.
Beckett, GBR’s Paris 2024 representative, extended his remarkable Bay of Palma record to win the 176-strong ILCA 7 class for a fourth successive time in the Men’s singlehander, bettering the three times record of his compatriot Paul Goodison, the 2008 Olympic gold medallist, who won the class in 2001, 2008 and 2008.
“Winning for a fourth time here is actually much, much more important to me than I was saying at on at the start of the week” grinned a visibly relieved Beckett.
Incredibly, the 30-year-old Welsh sailor has won with a day to spare three out of four times and today triumphs in a fleet which includes both the Paris 2024 silver and bronze medal winners Pavlos Kontides of Cyprus and Stefano Peschiera of Peru.
Beckett will have the luxury of a stress-free Saturday.
There was disappointment in Palma for the other Irish sailors who didn't qualify for their medal race finals.
ILCA 6
Eve McMahon (Howth YC) in the Women's one-person dinghy incurred her second yellow flag penalty in the morning before serving up a fifth in the last race to place her 17th overall in her 114-boat event.
"It's pretty bittersweet to end the regatta like this. If I hadn't incurred the two Yellow flags - and I also had a Black flag - I would have been eighth overall going into (a medal race) tomorrow," said McMahon.
Howth clubmate Sienna Wright placed 36th overall, a hugely impressive debut at a Grand Slam event.
49er
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the bay, the skiffs faced similarly challenging weather conditions though were sent ashore for several hours waiting for wind.
Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove in Palma Photo: Sailing Energy
A 13th and an 8th for the day plus a penalty that effectively meant a 22nd place ended hopes of a medal race appearance for Robert Dickson (Howth YC) and Sean Waddilove (Skerries Sailing Club) as they finished 19th overall in their 91-boat event, a long way off pundit predictions in pre-event billing.
49erfx
Royal Irish's Saskia Tdiey, sailing for Team GB, has a ten-point lead in the 49er fX with Freya Black. Newcomers to the women's skiff event Lauren O'Callaghan (National Yacht Club) and Charlotte Eadie (Ballyholme Yacht Club) ended their first foray in this class in 42nd overall.
Medal racing for the men's one-person dinghy (ILCA 7 class)is scheduled for 10 am (Irish time) on Saturday, 5th, April - subject to weather conditions.
Results are here
