Irish sailors Finn Lynch and Eve McMahon have climbed to second overall after two days of racing at the Sailing Grand Slam in Los Angeles, a key Olympic-class regatta on the waters that will host the sailing competition at the LA 2028 Olympic Games.
The strong early performances put both sailors firmly in medal contention as the event enters its decisive Elimination Series.
Ireland is represented in Los Angeles by Eve McMahon in the ILCA 6 fleet, alongside Finn Lynch and Ewan McMahon in the ILCA 7 class.
After two qualifying days, both Lynch and McMahon have steadily climbed the standings against world-class opposition.
A classic Los Angeles sea breeze of 12 to 18 knots, combined with a three-foot Pacific swell, has produced physically demanding racing and offered competitors an early opportunity to test themselves on the future Olympic racecourse.
Fresh from winning the North American Championship, Howth Yacht Club's Eve McMahon has maintained her excellent form. The reigning San Pedro OCR champion opened with a fifth-place finish, discarded a mid-fleet result and then won the final race of day two to move into second overall.
The Dublin sailor is competing against the world's leading athletes. World number one Charlotte Rose of the United States is third on equal points with McMahon, while Denmark's Anna Munch leads the fleet.
In the ILCA 7 fleet, National Yacht Club's Finn Lynch also produced an impressive rise through the standings. After starting the regatta in ninth place, the two-time Olympian posted two third-place finishes and a second-place result on Monday to move into second overall, just one point behind Britain's Michael Beckett.
Howth Yacht Club's Ewan McMahon, a member of the Irish Sailing LA Scholars programme, is 14th overall after the opening stage of the competition. His best finish so far is 11th as he continues to gain experience on the Olympic course.
Irish Sailing Performance Director James O'Callaghan said the regatta provides invaluable preparation for LA 2028.
"It's brilliant for the team to have the opportunity to race on the Olympic waters ahead of LA 2028. Every day we spend here now will stand to us as we build towards the Games.
He added:
"We're arriving in good shape too. Eve comes into the regatta on the back of winning the North American Championship, while Finn has also shown his class here before and is now sitting second overall.
"We've always received a fantastic welcome in the United States. The Irish diaspora really get behind our athletes and it makes a huge difference when you're competing so far from home. We're looking forward to seeing plenty of green around the venue."
The ILCA fleets now move into a three-day Elimination Series. Only the top ten sailors will qualify for Friday's Medal Races, where the podium places will be decided.
The San Pedro Olympic Classes Regatta is one of only two major annual Olympic-class sailing events held in the United States. Nearly 200 sailors from 34 nations are competing, including 35 Olympians and six Olympic gold medallists.
