#isafworldcup – Two days into the ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres, France and it has not been plain sailing for three Irish Olympic sailing campaigners. Sixteen knot winds brought improvements for Annalise Murphy yesterday when she made a dramatic improvement on her opening results with a fifth in race four. She now lies 34th from 40. Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern also improved from day one with their first top ten result, a ninth in race five, after six races sailed to be 26th overall in a 40–boat fleet. The Irish 49erfx, sailed by Andrea Brewster and Saskia Tidey is 24th from 40.

More on this from David O'Brien in the Irish Times Sailing Column this morning HERE. Racing continues on the French riviera this morning.

The biggest smile of the day at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres belonged to Poland's Maja Dziarnowska after she picked up three straight race wins in the Women's RS:X windsurfer.

When asked about how she dominated the day, Dziarnowska commented, "there is no mercy". With the new ISAF Sailing World Cup format exciting the sailors competing in the French Riviera, no mercy can be shown if they want to end up on top and the Polish racer demonstrated that perfectly well.

A strong breeze, which built to around 16 knots, filled all five courses consistently throughout the day allowing sailors to truly put all their skills to the test.

The leader boards are starting to take shape across the ten Olympic and two Paralympic disciplines in Hyeres ahead of the Medal Races on Sunday 26 April where a share of the €72,000 prize fund, ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots and World Cup glory are on offer.

Men's and Women's RS:X

Maja Dziarnowska (POL) was beaming with smiles after Women's RS:X racing having dominated the day taking a trio of victories.

After racing the Polish racer said, "Compared to yesterday when I finished 29th overall, today was good. I had a lot of fun, good speed, I didn't make many mistakes and that explains my success.

"There is no mercy," she smiled.

Dziarnowska's performance has pushed her up from the middle of the pack to third overall. Lilian De Geus (NED) holds the lead on 13 points after a 2-4-4 day followed by Isobel Hamilton (GBR) on 22 points and Dziarnowska on 31.

Despite De Geus holding a steady lead the day belonged to Dziarnowska who revels in Hyères when the breeze is in, "I really enjoy staying in Hyères because we spend a lot of time training here every year. We spend all of April here so I know this place quite well. The wind shifts, the waves and so on. It's helping.

"This place this year only has 40 women starting and they're the top 40 in the world so it makes the competition really hard. The smallest mistake costs you hugely and you can lose a lot of places."

The world's best Women's windsurfers are racing in Hyères and anticipation was high in the build-up as Dziarnowska concluded, "The format is super exciting. I was waiting for the start of this event for a long time, I couldn't wait. Just to see the progression of myself and the other girls, it's been really exciting.

"I'm enjoying what I do, I enjoy the training, I enjoy staying with my team. We're called Energa Sailing Team. We're cool people and then being with all the women here, I love this lifestyle."

There were ups and downs across the Men's RS:X fleet as the competition ramped up a notch.

Byron Kokkalanis (GRE) started the day exceedingly well by taking the opening race victory as he explained, "I made some good choices sailing upwind and jumped up three places. I was ahead rounding the top mark on the second lap and then I just had to chase the Israeli guy [Nimrod Mashiah] and I slid past him at the start of the slalom."

Kokkalanis struggled in the remaining races posting a 12th and a 23rd, he continued, "I got hit bad at the start in the middle race and I was nearly last so I had to come back but in the last race, something felt really bad. I just couldn't keep up.

"The conditions changed and the wind picked up more so maybe it was my technique or something with my equipment that I didn't tune properly so all these things need to be fixed."

The Greek racer ends the day eighth overall.

Israel's Nimrod Mashiah was the star of the day. Double seconds and a race win catapult the Israeli up into second, one point off leader Piotr Myszka (POL).

Just eight points separate first to seventh place in the Men's RS:X after six races. Six more fleet races follow with the potential for further ups and downs ahead of Sunday's Medal Races.

Nacra 17

It was a busy day for the Nacra 17 fleet. Four races in a good breeze ensured some tired faces back ashore after racing.

Tired, yet full of enthusiasm after racing was Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA). The dynamic French duo started the day with back to back victories. A 12th and a third followed which hands them a handy 14 point lead.

"We're happy because that is a good day for us," commented a Riou after racing.

The Nacra 17 fleet is of the highest calibre. Olympic medallists and World Champions make up the highly competitive fleet. Maintaining a clear head is key as Riou explained, "You have to always keep the focus on your job. You can lose distance and places quickly in this fleet.

"It's really tough to sail at this event but really good to sail in a fleet of 40 good teams. The format is good for sailing because for spectators they can follow and understand our sport, it's better than ever before."

Lin Ea Cenholt Christiansen and Christian Peter Lübeck (DEN) occupy second overall on 30 points with overnight leaders Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin (AUS) third on 36 points.

Finn

It was a day for the Great Britain's Giles Scott and Ed Wright. The pair sailed consistently well throughout the two races to land them in first and second place respectively at the end of day two.

Scott is well on track to add another podium finish to his already impressive succession of first places he has collected over the last 12 months.

The stronger winds provided the ideal conditions on the water for all of the fleet making the competition for first place even harder. A race win was also claimed by Tapio Nirkko (FIN) who is tenth overall.

49er and 49erFX

Ida Marie Nielsen and Marie Olsen (DEN) solidified their spot at the top of the 49erFX leaderboard. The Danes 6-1-6 scorelines sees them atop of the pack on 17 points.

Tamara Echegoyen and Berta Betanzos (ESP) follow on 32 points with Jena Hansen and Katja Salskov-Iversen (DEN) third on 35 points.

Nielsen and Olsen have proven themselves in the light flukey Hyères breeze that was present on the opening day as well as the consistent breeze on day two. Time will tell if they can continue their good form to take home gold, a share of the €72,000 prize pot and a spot on the startline at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi.

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) asserted their dominance once again in Hyères with a 1-1-2 giving the duo a clear lead ahead of Jonas Warrer and Anders Thomsen (DEN) in second place.

This is the first ISAF Sailing World Cup regatta for Burling and Tuke in 2015 and half way through the regatta they are well on the way to continuing their unbroken record of regatta victories.

Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen (AUS) also enjoyed a strong day on the water, recording three top fifteen results. They sit in third and still have the opportunity to build on their current success over the next three days.

There was some top quality racing throughout the entire fleet and Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel (GER) claimed a first in the last race of the day.

Laser and Laser Radial

It is tight at the top in the Laser Radial with Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN) and Evi Van Acker (BEL) locked on ten points apiece.

Both competitors put their hard opening day behind them to bounce back nicely. Rindom discarded her 24th from day one and added a sixth and a bullet to count ten points. Van Acker scored a 4-2 on the second day, losing her 17th, to share the lead with Rindom.

The day's opening race win went the way of 2013 Laser Radial World Champion Tina Mihelic (CRO). The Croatian is 27th at the moment but has the skills and drive to work her way up the leaderboard with four more fleet races remaining ahead of the Medal Race.

It was a similar scenario in the Laser. Tom Burton (AUS) and Nicholas Heiner (NED) discarded their opening day 33rd and 24th respectively to sit in first and second overall.

Burton was in fine form, taking a third and second to take the lead on seven points. For Heiner, his 4-5 on the day is enough for second. Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) is three points off the Dutchman.

Race victories were picked up by Julio Alsogaray (ARG) who is 19th and Kristian Ruth (NOR). Ruth enjoyed a terrific day taking a fifth alongside his bullet and he moves up to eighth.

Men's and Women's 470

Following on from Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark's (GBR) second place success at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami and, with only four races left until the Medal Race, they top the Women's 470 leaderboard by the narrowest of margins.

The day provided the perfect conditions for Mills and Clark who started the brilliantly by gaining a first place and an 18th which the pair have discarded. Mills and Clark have no time to relax however, as the fight for the top three places are extremely close.

Rounding off the top three behind the Brits is Anne Haeger and Briana Provancha (USA) in second and Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (NZL) in third.

The Men's 470 took to the water this morning and, after two more races Croatian pair Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic end the day in first place five points clear of Gabrio Zandonã and Andrea Trani (ITA) in second.

Race wins on the day went to Luke Patience and Elliot Willis (GBR) and Stuart Mcnay and David Hughes (USA) who are sixth overall.

Paralympic Events

In the Sonar, Colin Harrison, Jonathan Harris and Russell Boaden (AUS) remain at the top of the scoreboard after achieving a second and a third place which the team have discarded. However, the Australian team cannot afford to relax just yet as, hot on their heels and only one point behind are Bruno Jourdern, Eric Flageul and Nicolas Vimont-Vicary (FRA) who achieved a bullet in the second race of the day to land them in second place overall.

Thursday is set to be another interesting day on the water for the class as only one point separates second and third place from the top spot.

In the 2.4mR class, Damien Seguin (FRA) had a fantastic day on the water and showed that the stronger conditions suited his style. Seguin gained a second and first place in the two races knocking Bjørnar Erikstad off the top spot and relegating him into second place.

Seguin is no stranger to this event after claiming second place at last year's ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres and with only four races left to go before the medal race, is well on his way to gaining another place on the podium.

Megan Pascoe (GBR) rounds off the top three sailors in third place. While a race win also went to Lasse Klötzing (GER) who finished the day in seventh place.

Racing resumes on Friday 24 April at 11:00 local time when sailors will continue to compete for a place on the podium and a chance to claim their share of the €72,000 prize money on Sunday 26 April.

#isafupdates –  After a buoyant start for Ireland to the 2015 Olympic sailing circuit in Palma just over a fortnight ago, there was a disappointing performance from Irish Olympic sailors on day one in Hyeres, France this afternoon. All three Irish dinghy campaigns finished at the bottom end of their respective 40–boat fleets at this important round of the ISAF World Cup. Laser Radial star Annalise Murphy from the National Yacht Club posted a 38 and 32 to be 39th overall. Belfast 49er skiff sailors Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern – silver medallists at this regatta last year – took 21 and 26 to lie 35th. The Royal Irish 49erfx ladies crew of Andrea Brewster and Saskia Tidey scored 36, 23 and 23 in their three opening races to place 32nd overall. Full results are posted HERE. Racing continues tomorrow.

Conditions in Hyères were light throughout the morning but picked up to between six and ten knots in flat seas to ensure tight, tactical racing across five course areas and a high scoring day for many. Stronger breeze, common in Hyères, is expected to return for the Medal Races on Sunday 26 April.

Restricted entries of 40 boats per fleet (that ruled out Irish mens Laser class participation) ensured close competition from the off with Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists, multiple World Champions, Volvo Ocean Race winners and America's Cup sailors amongst the athletes so even being invited to race this week in an achievement in itself.

49er and 49erFX

Two of the hottest properties in sailing right now, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL), started the defence of their Hyères title in fine fashion with a consistent day on the race course, posting a 2-(9)-3 scoreline.

The Kiwis are tied at the top on five points with Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen (AUS) but the Australians count a discarded 33rd alongside a solid fourth and bullet.

Racing in the 49er was full of ups and downs as the fleet battled a light, shifty breeze. The Kiwis started well in the first bout of the day, coming in second behind John Pink and Stu Bithell (GBR) but they were left with a few regrets after their ninth, "We're disappointed we dropped a few places in that middle race but it's just one of those things, you've got to take the good with the bad.

"You get on the wrong side of the shifts occasionally and there have been some pretty big ones and in a 40 boat fleet you could get some big scores. We've had a really solid first day and we're just going to chip away and get some more solid ones on the board."

When sailors are interviewed in the boat park one of the most common phrases is 'everyone who is campaigning for Rio is here'. That is certainly the case in the 49er, and the remaining fleets, with the leading teams battling it out from the off. For Burling, the high level competition in Hyères is something he's enjoying, "It's the first time we've raced with 40 good guys on the startline in a fleet. In conditions like today, if you get one shift wrong you pay pretty heavily.

"We're happy to get some good starts and get it working today but that's one of those things that you've got to battle your way through this week. It's great to see all the good guys here with good gear and a lot of training time put into it so it's time to push forward."

Sweden's Victor Bergström and Victor Vasternas enjoyed a strong day on the water, recording three top ten results. They sit in eighth after the opening day but have a solid platform to build on over the next few days.

Men's and Women's 470

Anne Haeger and Briana Provancha (USA) enjoy opening days in Hyères. The pair led after day one in 2014 and now top the billing after the opening day at the 2015 edition.

Consistency was king for the Americans in what was a hard day of work on the water, "It was really challenging," commented Provancha. "The breeze was shifting a lot and we had four starts today so two races were abandoned. The Race Committee did a really good job waiting for consistent breeze and fortunately we had two good races."

A fourth and a third gives Haeger and Provancha and five point lead over Brazil's Fernanda Oliveira and Ana Luiza Barbachan. The Brazilians took the first race win and added an 11th. The day's other race victory was snapped up by Shasha Chen and Haiyan Gao (CHN). The pair are sixth overall.

The new 40-boat format has suited the Americans who have thrived in facing the best competition from the off. Having led after day one in 2014 they dropped down to third so aren't resting on their laurels, "We're probably one of the most inexperienced teams at the top so we're just plugging away every day and training to get the experience we need so we can perform at the [Olympic] Games. We're taking it a day at a time," added Provancha.

"I think having the top 40 has been great and not having a qualifying series you're racing against the best from the get go and that's a really awesome thing that ISAF are doing. We're looking forward to more racing."

€72,000 is to be distributed across the 12 events on show in Hyères when the medals are decided on Sunday 26 April. On the announcement Provancha concluded, "I think it's a great idea. Obviously for Abu Dhabi there was prize money there and that was awesome. It adds something extra to the competition but we love the racing and regardless of the prize money we're happy to be here.

"People here love sailing and it's great to be around it in Hyères."

There were ups and downs aplenty in the Men's 470 but the top three stayed consistent, posting top scores to set an early marker.

Ferdinand Gerz and Oliver Szymanski (GER) lead on five points, Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic (CRO) follow on six whilst Gabrio Zandon and Andrea Trani (ITA) hold third. The Germans picked up the first race win of the day with Anton Dahlberg and Fredrik Bergstrom (SWE) taking the second. The Swedes are eighth overall.

Laser and Laser Radial

Gintare Scheidt (LTU) is enjoying her return to competitive sailing and put in a steady showing in the Laser Radial. The Lithuanian has only recently returned to Olympic campaigning and having qualified for Hyères at Trofeo Princesa Sofia, she is going well in the French Riviera.

Scheidt, a Beijing 2008 Olympic silver medallist, is second overall, three points off Alicia Cebrian (ESP) and is enjoying her time back in the boat, "I wasn't in the top 30 so I had to qualify in Palma. I did well and here I am," she smiled. "It's very nice to sail with the top 40 girls. It's a very high level and it's very interesting.

"It's close to an Olympic format which is very good training and it's a higher level than even the Olympics. Everyone is happy to be sailing here.

"I've come here so many times and for me there are a lot of memories. Every year is different and it's a very special place."

Cebrian tops the leaderboard on six points after a 5-1 with Scheidt behind on nine with a sixth and a third. Belgium's Emma Plasschaert holds third on 12 points.

Anything can happen across the Olympic and Paralympic fleets and when they're competing against the best of the best, form can often be blown out of the window.

With two wins in 2015, ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami and Trofeo Princesa Sofia, Germany's Philipp Buhl had a tough time in the Laser. A 19th and 34th sees him placed 29th overall but he's enjoying the high level competition that is present from day one.

"It's different," chuckled Buhl. "It's like gold fleet racing and it's much tighter. It makes it a bit more difficult from the beginning.

"I'm going to like this model – it's much easier for the race committee with one fleet and more comfortable for the sailors. You don't waste days with qualifying where you can't win the regatta, you just make sure you don't lose it there. I like it, so far.

"In addition to that, we have a lot more space here, it's a lot more comfortable," joked Buhl about the space in the boat park.

The Laser is one of the most open Olympic events with any sailor in the fleet capable of causing an upset on their day. Although Buhl is 29th, he's optimistic about the coming days, "I'm not here to try and win again, obviously I will try to but I do not see myself as a favourite after Palma and Miami.

"I was happy with those results but I will try to get in the Medal Race here and try and get into the top five or even a medal and if I do that I'll be very happy."

It's a Croatian 1-2 at the top of the leaderboard with Filip Jurišić and Tonci Stipanovic occupying places one and two. Sam Meech (NZL) is in third. Rutger van Schaardenburg (NED) took out the first race win of the day and Jurišić followed up with the second.

Men's and Women's RS:X

It was a day for the Chinese RS:X competitors in Hyères as Aichen Wang in the Men's and Peina Chen in the Women's grabbed an early lead.

Chen's last ISAF Sailing World Cup appearance came in Hyères exactly 12 months ago. Whilst she was out of the top 30, she qualified to compete in the French Riviera after a solid result at Trofeo Princesa Sofia. With a small frame the light breeze in Hyères suited her style and she posted a fifth and a bullet from two races to lead Hayley Chan (HKG) and Laura Linares (ITA) by four points.

In the Men's RS:X, Wang remained at the front of the bunch in both races. A fifth and a third gives him a one point advantage over Juan Manuel Moreno Vega (ESP). Race victories in the Men's RS:X were picked up by Shahar Zubari (ISR) who is fifth and the seventh placed Ivan Pastor (ESP).

Nacra 17

ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne gold medallists Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin (AUS) had a superb start in the Nacra 17 picking up a 6-1 scoreline. Waterhouse and Darmanin are a team on the rise with World Championship bronze and World Cup gold under their belt from their last two regattas.

They are a point ahead of Renee Groeneveld and Steven Krol (NED). Defending champions Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri (ITA) took the first race victory of the day but received a scoring penalty in race two. They are 19th overall counting the full 40 points from their penalty but with the discard coming into play after the third race they will look to bounce back up the pack.

French favourites Billy Besson and Marie Riou occupy the final podium spot after the opening day.

Finn

New Zealand's Andrew Murdoch leads the Finn class today after consistent racing gained him two fifth place results. This is the first ISAF Sailing World Cup event that Murdoch has competed in this year and after day one has gained a four point clear lead of Michele Paoletti (ITA) in second place.

Regatta favourite Giles Scott (GBR) and Jonathan Lobert (FRA) also had a great day on the water after claiming first places in both of the two races of the day.

2.4mR

Bjørnar Erikstad got off to a flying start in the 2.4mR class with two clear wins ending the day in first place, five points clear of Helena Lucas (GBR) in second. Erikstad continues to be on consistent form in the 2.4mR, after finishing on the podium at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami in January.

Rounding off the top three in the 2.4mR class is Bjørnar Erikstad (NOR), Helena Lucas (GBR) in second and Heiko Kroeger (GER) in third.

Sonar

In the Sonar, Colin Harrison, Jonathan Harris and Russell Boaden (AUS) had a fantastic day on the water and took the early advantage ending the day in first place.

The Australian trio recorded a second and a first to lead on three points. This is the first ISAF Sailing World Cup event that the Australians have competed in this year and if today's results are anything to go by, are definitely ones to watch.

A race victory also went to Bruno Jourdern, Eric Flageul and Nicolas Vimont-Vicary (FRA). The French trio are second overall.

Racing resumes for the all classes on Thursday 23 April at 11:00 local time when sailors will continue to compete for a place on the podium and a chance to claim their share of the €72,000 prize money on Sunday 26 April.

Top three by class:

49er
1. Nathan Outteridge / Iain Jensen, AUS, 5 points
2. Peter Burling / Blair Tuke, NZL, 5
3. Nico Delle - Karth / Nikolaus Resch, AUT, 7

49erFX
1. Ida Marie Baad Nielsen / Marie Thusgaard Olsen, DEN, 4
2. Sebesi Lili / Julie Bossard, FRA, 4
3. Martine Soffiatti Grael / Kahena Kunze, BRA, 11

Men's 470
1. Ferdinand Gerz / Oliver Szymanski, GER, 5
2. Sime Fantela / Igor Marenic, CRO, 6
3. Gabrio Zandona / Andrea Trani, ITA, 10

Women's 470
1. Anne Haeger / Briana Provancha, USA, 7
2. Fernanda Oliveira / Ana Luiza Barbachan, BRA, 12
3. Hannah Mills / Saskia Clark, GBR, 13

Laser
1. Filip Jurisic, CRO, 7
2. Tonci Stipanovic, CRO, 11
3. Sam Meech, NZL, 13

Laser Radial
1. Alicia Cebrian, ESP, 6
2. Gintare Volungeviciute Scheidt, LTU, 9
3. Emma Plasschaert, BEL, 13

RS:X Men
1. Aichen Wang, CHN, 8
2. Juan Manuel Moreno Vega, ESP, 9
3. Federico Esposito, ITA, 12

RS:X Women
1. Peina Chen, CHN, 6
2. Hei Man Hayley Victoria Chan, HKG, 10
3. Laura Linares, ITA, 10

Nacra 17
1. Jason Waterhouse / Lisa Darmanin, AUS, 7
2. Renee Groeneveld / Steven Krol, NED, 8
3. Billy Besson / Marie Riou, FRA, 11

Finn
1. Andrew Murdoch, NZL, 10
2. Michele Paoletti, ITA, 14
3. Ondrej Teply, CZE, 14

2.4mR
1. Bjornar Erikstad, NOR, 2
2. Helena Lucas, GBR, 7
3. Heiko Kroeger, GER, 8

Sonar
1. Colin Harrison / Jonathan Harris / Russell Boaden, AUS, 3
2. Bruno Jourdren / Eric Flageul / Nicolas Vimont-Vicary, FRA, 6
3. Aleksander Wang-Hansen / Marie Solberg / Per Eugen Kristiansen, NOR, 7

#ISAFupdates – Prize money is to be awarded in the Olympic and Paralympic disciplines at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères. €72,000 is to be distributed across the 12 events on show in Hyères when the medals are decided this Sunday.

Irish Olympic sailing campaigners including London 2012 sensation Annalise Murphy – who has already secured a Laser Radial berth for Rio 2016 –  are in the hunt for the new cash prizes. And Belfast Lough's Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern (also through to Rio) will be looking to repeat their 2014 performance when they earned silver on the Cote D'Azur.

ISAF President Carlo Croce said, "We are pleased to be awarding the best of the Olympic and Paralympic sailing world with prize money at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères. Alongside the drive to be crowned a Hyères gold medallist and qualifying a spot at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final, the sailors have an added incentive with the addition of prize money.

"The list of athletes competing in Hyères is exceptional and over five days of competition I am looking forward to see how the racing unfolds."

Racing from 22-26 April, the elite level fleets will put their skills to the ultimate test with 40 of the world's best in each class. ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères marks the first occasion where fleets are decided based on the ISAF World Sailing Rankings and a qualification regatta.

The world's top 30 sailors from the 2 February 2015 ISAF World Sailing Rankings release were invited to Hyères with the remaining ten receiving their spot at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères qualification regatta, Trofeo Princesa Sofia.

600 Olympic sailors in 400 boats and 39 Paralympic sailors in 25 boats will commence racing on 22 April. A four day racing series will build up to the Medal Races on Sunday 26 April where titles will be won and ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots snapped up.

#isaf – Olympic sailing gets a great deal hotter this week thanks to a revamped World Cup circuit where only the best sailors in the world have been invited to race at ISAF's Sailing World Cup in Hyeres, France tomorrow. Ireland can expect a tough fight to the finish on Sunday with just 40 of the best crews in each of the classes giving a true test of form. Anticipation is high amongst the 600 Olympic sailors in 400 boats and 39 Paralympic sailors in 25 boats.

As Afloat.ie previously reported, as a result of the new format there will be no Irish mens Laser participation because neither Belfast's James Espey or Dublin's Finn Lynch have made the Hyeres cut but Annalise Murphy is racing in the Laser Radial. Also racing are Silver medallists from last year, Northern Ireland's Ryan Seaton and Matt Mc Govern in the 49er class. Dun Laoghaire Olympic hopefuls, Andrea Brewster and Saskia Tidey in the 49erFX class are also in France and three-man Paralympic Sonar sailing team, John Twomey, Ian Costello and Austin O'Carroll will also compete.

Early weather forecasts suggest light to medium conditions for tomorrow's French test but nothing is takewn for granted on the Cote D'Azur because strong mistral winds are never really very far away. 

The ten Olympic and three Paralympic events at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères are flooded with Olympic, Paralympic, World and Continental Champions.

Entries are restricted to 40 competitors in each fleet and 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships gold medallists Nicholas Heiner (NED), Mat Belcher (AUS) and Giles Scott (GBR) are excited about the new concept and facing off against the best sailors in their respective disciplines from the off.

With the world's most athletic, versatile and competitive sailors making up the fleets the competition will be exceptional and there's a buzz across the boat parks as Belcher explained, "There's a sense of pride here because it's the first time entries have been restricted. The Worlds and Europeans are open but it's a privilege to be here.

"Everyone knows they've qualified to be here and they've earned their place and they're looking forward to racing. People are excited and that's filtered through to the younger sailors and teams who haven't qualified. They're going to be training harder and doing the other events and they'll be proud to get on the start line at future World Cups.

"It's a pretty cool and exciting time to be in sailing at the moment."

ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères is the first occasion where fleets are decided based on the ISAF World Sailing Rankings and a qualification regatta. The world's top 30 sailors from the 2 February 2015 ISAF World Sailing Rankings release were invited to Hyères with the remaining ten receiving their spot at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères qualification regatta, Trofeo Princesa Sofia.

Great Britain's Scott had his place on the Hyères startline sewn up well in advance of Trofeo Princesa Sofia but put in another strong performance, taking gold to extend his win streak. From four previous appearances in Hyères Scott's best result is a second behind compatriot Andrew Mills at the 2013 edition with a seventh coming in 2011, a fourth in 2009 and a 39th in the Laser in 2005.

With such strong recent form Scott is buoyant about his chances to take a first Hyères gold but he feels no weight of expectations, "Do I feel the pressure?" asked Scott quietly to himself, "Obviously it's there and people talk about it a lot but I don't really feel any pressure. I'm happy with where everything is at. I'm still working on a lot of stuff and as long as I'm still moving forward then I'm content."

Forty strong Finn sailors will be doing battle on the waters off the French Riviera and Scott knows his rivals will be ready to perform, "Ivan's [Kljakovic Gaspic] been going well over the past year, Ed [Wright] is always up there as are the French. There's a big group of 15 guys that are certainly capable of medalling for sure.

"It's very good to get racing that's as much like the Games as possible. If you're on that 40th cusp it's potentially tricky as they'll have to work that much harder to compete with the top guys. But once you're there then the racing is good and it's the pinnacle of the sport in dinghy racing."

Competition in the Laser will be wide open. Across a 12 month period there have been multiple regatta victors with the smallest of mistakes punished. Each event at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères is a single fleet competition with no qualification required. The competitors will be battling it out from the off for valuable points and positions and 2014 World Champion Heiner is full of anticipation, "It's going to be an interesting showcase," commented Heiner.

"It's the first event where you get racing against the 40 best guys in the world straight away. There's no qualification and it's going to be good racing, for sure.

"Anybody in the top ten can win this event and at the very least be on the podium. You've seen it over the past few World Cups. Phillip Buhl is now sailing really well and then there's World #1 Tom Burton. There are a few guys that are always up there and if we get some offshore stuff it's going to be really interesting."

Anticipation is high amongst the 600 Olympic sailors in 400 boats and 39 Paralympic sailors in 25 boats. Final preparations are underway with racing scheduled to commence on 22 April.

A four day series will build up to the Medal Races on Sunday 26 April where Abu Dhabi Final spots will be picked up.

#isafworldcup – Ireland will be hoping to repeat last year's silver medal performance when the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Hyères, France starts next week. The Olympic sailing campaigners will be in action with podium results the main target for crews that last year made the gold fleet cut in both the Radial and 49er classes. Unfortunately, this year there will be no Irish mens Laser sailor because under a new rule only the top 30 racers have qualified to compete from the ISAF's world rankings.

Northern Ireland's Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern took a memorable silver medal last year in the mens skiff class with Annalise Murphy also making inroads at the top of the Laser Radial fleet.

Irish interest is not limited to just the sailors either. Irish international judge, Gordon Davies of Bray, is on the international jury for the ISAF event.

The finest sailing talent on the planet will assemble in Hyères, France from 20-26 April for the next instalment of the ISAF Sailing World Cup.

Elite level fleets in all ten of the Olympic events will put their skills to the ultimate test with 40 of the world's best in each class. ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères marks the first occasion where fleets are decided based on the ISAF World Sailing Rankings and a qualification regatta.

The world's top 30 sailors from the 2 February 2015 ISAF World Sailing Rankings release were invited to Hyères with the remaining ten receiving their spot at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères qualification regatta, Trofeo Princesa Sofia.

From now, until 21 April, 600 Olympic sailors in 400 boats and 39 Paralympic sailors in 25 boats will train, prepare and tune up ahead of the first racing day on 22 April. A four day racing series will build up to the Medal Races on Sunday 26 April where titles will be won and ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots snapped up.

49er and 49erFX

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) come into ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères as the pair to beat in the 49er. Seventeen consecutive wins since their silver medal exploits at London 2012 have solidified their position as the ones to beat. The manner in which their victories have come has been outstanding, in many cases winning with a day to spare and even missing out a day of competition to attend the 2014 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards Ceremony.

With the countdown to the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition truly on it would be hard to bet against the Kiwis but their rivals are pushing hard.

Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel (GER) remained in contention with the Kiwis at the recent Trofeo Princesa Sofia whilst Nico Delle-Karth and Nikolaus Resch (AUT) come into the event full of confidence following their victory at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami. Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen (AUS) will renew their winning partnership after Jensen sailed with Joel Turner in Miami and they will certainly be in the fray in the French Riviera.

With a packed start line of the world's best 49er talent from day one, the level of competition all the 49er sailors will face will be of the highest quality.

ISAF Rolex World Sailors of the Year Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze (BRA) will spearhead the 49erFX fleet, aiming to defend the title they won 12 months prior.

The Brazilians won by eight points over Kiwis Alex Maloney and Molly Meech in 2014 and Grael described Hyères as, 'the best week ever'. With the likes of Maloney and Meech, who recently won ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami, Trofeo Princesa Sofia regatta winners Maiken and Anne-Juline Foght Schütt (DEN) and the dangerous Marie Olsen and Ida Marie Nielsen (DEN) and Charlotte Dobson and Sophie Ainsworth (GBR) on the startline it's set to be another great week of competition.

Laser and Laser Radial

It will be a who's who of Laser and Laser Radial sailing in Hyères with 40 of the finest one-person dinghy sailors within each fleet.

Such is the nature of both fleets that clear favourites would be hard to determine with a mixture of recent regatta winners in the Laser and the Laser Radial.

On a fine run of form, however, is Belgium's Evi Van Acker who has finished on the podium at the last five regattas she's competed in, winning the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, UAE last November. A veteran of nine previous Olympic class regattas in Hyères the Belgian took her first title on French waters in 2014 and will be back to defend her title.

World #1 and 2014 World Champion Marit Bouwmeester (NED) will join the Belgian, renewing their long running rivalry once again. Anne Marie Rindom (DEN) will be firmly in the hunt alongside the London 2012 silver and bronze medallists having beaten them both to gold at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami in January.

In the Laser, World #1 Tom Burton (AUS) has had an up and down time in 2015 with an 18th at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami and a fifth at Trofeo Princesa Sofia. Burton will make a welcomed return to Hyères having won the last two ISAF Sailing World Cup editions on the French waters.

Germany's Philipp Buhl heads into Hyères in fine form with two wins from his last two regattas. Victory at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami and Trofeo Princesa Sofia will give him confidence in a fleet that's packed full of some of the finest athletes in the world.

Names such as Matt Wearn (AUS), Robert Scheidt (BRA), Tonci Stipanovic (CRO), Pavlos Kontides (CYP), Jean Baptiste Bernaz (FRA), Nick Thompson (GBR), Nicholas Heiner (NED), Andy Maloney (NZL), Sam Meech (NZL) and Charlie Buckingham (USA) ensure the fleet is of the highest calibre.

Finn

Giles Scott (GBR) is on a run of nine consecutive Finn regatta victories. His form is impeccable and he will come into Hyères as the man to beat.

Much like Burling and Tuke in the 49er, Scott has won the majority of his regattas by an emphatic margin. Consistently at the top and barely putting a foot wrong Scott has blown his opponents away but Hyères is a regatta gold that does not feature on his mantelpiece.

From four previous appearances, Scott's best result is a second behind compatriot Andrew Mills at the 2013 edition with a seventh coming in 2011, a fourth in 2009 and a 39th in the Laser in 2005. Nonetheless, with an unrivalled run of victories in the Finn, Scott will fancy his chances to add a further gold to his impressive repertoire.

Pieter Jan Postma (NED) won his first ISAF Sailing World Cup gold medal in Hyères in 2014 and will be back to defend his title. Further strong competition will come from World #1 Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO), Thomas Le Breton (FRA), Ed Wright (GBR) and Vasilij Zbogar (SLO).

Nacra 17

Throughout the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Cup series Billy Besson and Marie Riou (FRA), Darren Bundock and Nina Curtis (AUS) and Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri (ITA) were the dominant trio, sharing the podium on a number of occasions.

Whilst the form guide shows that at least one of the breakaway trio will be on the Hyères podium, their stranglehold has been infiltrated recently with a number of teams making impressions on the fleet.

Jason Waterhouse and Lisa Darmanin (AUS) took a well-deserved bronze at the 2014 ISAF Worlds and followed this up with gold at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne, which also confirmed their place on the 2015 Abu Dhabi Final start line. The pair will be aiming to make an impression in Hyères.

A strong British team will also be on the startline and they will be buoyed by recent successes. Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves (GBR) finished second at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami whilst John Gimson and Hannah Diamond (GBR) picked up silver at Trofeo Princesa Sofia. Gimson and Diamond are a relatively new Nacra 17 pairing and with their silver, qualified for ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères.

Men's and Women's RS:X

French sailors will be at the forefront of the Men's and Women's RS:X fleets In Hyères. Julien Bontemps and Charline Picon made it a double French gold at the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships in Santander, Spain and they have continued that form in 2015.

At the recent Trofeo Princesa Sofia, Picon claimed the women's gold whilst Bontemps narrowly missed out on gold in the men's via countback.

On their home waters in Hyères they will want to continue their good form but face strong opposition.

Kiran Badloe (NED) had the beating of Bontemps at Trofeo Princesa Sofia and will head over to Hyères full of confidence. Fellow Dutchman and London 2012 Olympic Champion Dorian van Rijsselberge will be on the startline as will the strong Polish trio of Przemyslaw Miarczynski, Piotr Myszka and Pawel Tarnowski.

With a strong winter training period behind each competitor, the level of competition in the Men's RS:X will be one of the highest ever seen.

Joining Picon in the Women's RS:X fleet will be World #1 Flavia Tartaglini, ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami gold medallist Bryony Shaw (GBR) and London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Marina Alabau (ESP).

Men's and Women's 470

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (NZL) and Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR) will renew their longstanding rivalry in the Women's 470 in Hyères. Ever since their final day winner takes all battle at the London 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition, which saw the Kiwis take gold, the pair have battled it out at the front of the pack.

2014 World and European Champions Lara Vadlau and Jolanta Ogar (AUT) will miss out on Hyères. Nonetheless the fleet will feature an abundance of big game contenders such as 2013 Hyères gold medallists Fernanda Oliveira and Ana Barbachan (BRA), Hélène Defrance and Camille Lecointre (FRA), Sophie Weguelin and Eilidh McIntyre (GBR) and Anne Haeger and Briana Provancha (USA).

In the Men's 470, as with any regatta they attend, Mat Belcher and Will Ryan (AUS) will be amongst the favourites. Since their partnership formed, they have featured on every ISAF Sailing World Cup regatta podium they have competed at, winning five gold medals, two silvers and a bronze.

Most recently Luke Patience and Elliot Willis (GBR) pushed the Aussies back at ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami taking the spoils and they'll be back in the mix in Hyères. Further teams that will be in the hunt in Hyères are Lucas Calabrese and Juan de la Fuente (ARG), Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic (CRO), Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis (GRE) and Stu McNay and Dave Hughes (USA).

Paralympic Events

Hyères will feature 18 sailors in the 2.4mR and seven teams in the Sonar.

At the 2014 edition of ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères, Heiko Kroger (GER) and Damien Seguin (FRA) had an epic final race winner takes all battle in the 2.4mR. The German came from behind to defeat Seguin and take gold. The rivalry will be renewed in 2015. The 18-boat fleet features a number of leading contenders who will want to come between Kroger and Seguin. London 2012 Paralympic gold medallist Helena Lucas (GBR) will be in the mix as will her compatriot Megan Pascoe.

Bjorner Erikstad (NOR) won ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami in January and will also fancy his chances in Hyères.

In the Sonar, John Robertson, Steve Thomas and Hannah Stodel (GBR) will return to defend their title. Joining them will be World Cup Miami gold medallists Aleksander Wang-Hansen, Marie Solberg and Per Eugen Kristiansen as well as 2014 Hyères silver medallists Bruno Jourdren, Eric Flageul and Nicolas Vimont-Vicary (FRA).

Team Providence Ireland will be racing at ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyères from Wednesday 22 April. Medal Races on Sunday 26 April will bring the regatta to a close.

#moth – The world's oldest one design dinghy combined with the world's fastest dinghy last weekend at Killinure on Lough Ree for an early season training and racing weekend.

The event started with a social nine holes of golf at the beautiful Glasson Golf Club on Friday evening! Sailing started on Saturday morning with a race in a cold 15-20kt blustery westerly for the seven Waterwags and six Moths from a start line at Quigleys Marina to the finish line at the Wineport Lodge.

The leading Moth Annalise Murphy covered the 2 mile long course in less than 5 minutes! Further races were held on the inner lakes below Glasson Golf Club before the usual excellent lunch in the Wineport and the return sail to Killinure.

After a combined class party in the Killinure Chalet Restaurant on Saturday night, six races were run in the lighter winds on Sunday.

As well as the Moths and Wags, another visitor to Quigleys last weekend was the 40ft Bantry Bay Longboat 'Siann Mhara' recently built by local volunteers in Banagher.

All in all, a great pre-season warm up for the sailors and quite a spectacle! 

Photos below by Garrett Leech

#trofeosofia – Ireland leaves Palma tonight with a medal in the demonstration sport of kitesurfing, thanks to the efforts of Jade O'Connor, plus two medal race finishes for the Irish Olympic sailing team. It's a considerable improvement on last year's 'rusty' Irish performance at the same venue when Annalise Murphy did not make the gold fleet cut.

Unfortunately, Annalise was disqualified as a premature starter in today's medal race dropping the one time regatta leader to fifth overall at the 46th edition of the Trofeo Sofia, a nevertheless strong performance for the National YC solo sailor that featured seven top ten placings from ten races.

Belfast 49er duo Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern finished sixth in their medal race moving them up one place to ninth overall at the first ISAF world cup event event in their new boat.

Dun Laoghaire's Andrea Brewster and Saskia Tidey in the women's 49erfx finished 20th from 47.

Belfast's James Espey will be disappointed with his score of 45th from 164 in the men's Laser division.

The medal races confirmed the leaders in all classes except in the RS:X men.

Young windsurfer Kiran Badloe (NED) had been gnawing day after day at the points safety margin that separates him from leader Julien Bontemps (FRA). Today he inflicted the killer blow, winning the medal race and the title on equal points with the World Champion. " I am very happy with the win. During the week, results were ok but the sailing is not perfect yet. I started poorly a few times. But with my speed and some smart sailing I could recover nicely. You have to realise the Polish and most of the French are not here including Dorian, so a number of tough competitors are missing. I am very happy with the progress we made last winter in New Zealand. Some of it is paying off now!"

In all other Olympic classes, the medal races didn't affect the leaders.

Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (NZL) have successfully defended their title in the 470 with command and prove once more they deserve their world #1 status!The Olympic Gold medallists will also be awarded tonight by the Her Majesty Queen Sofia, the prestigious Trofeo consacrating the best team during the week.
Camille Lecointre and Helene Defrance (FRA) won the medal race closing the gap to 3 points threatening the kiwis supremacy during the medal race. The French take Silver with Bronze going to Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR).

Lucas Calabrese and Juan de la Fuente (ARG) are back in force after an eight month break from the 470 competition. The Argentinians played it well all week, making the most of their combined experience to overcome their absence. "We had many days with shifty conditions and that suited us well. We could make gains on the fleet by sailing smart. It is great for our confidence to see that we are still competitive despite our forced retirement from competition." On the shore, the multiple Olympic medallists were warmly greated by the other 470 teams obviously happy to see their worthy Argentinian opponents back in shape! Luke Patience and Elliott Willis (GBR) take Silver in front of Johan Molund and Sebastian Östling (SWE) who settle for Bronze.

Gintare Scheidt (LTU) won the medal race in the Laser Radial. With Evi van Acker (BEL) taking the title on the penultimate day, Silver and Bronze went to Alison Young (GBR) and Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN). The Laser Radial fleet was one of the most competitive in Palma this week despite the absence of current World Champion Marit Bouwmeester who had to withdraw from the competition at the start of the week.

Philipp Buhl (GER) wins Gold in the Laser after dominating all week in varied conditions. Jesper Stalheim (SWE) claims the medal race to climb to second overall in front of Nicholas Heiner (NED) third. Danish teams proved once again their edge on the fleet with two teams at the front. Training together and spending time in Palma have proven fruitful with again great results collected in the Trofeo IBEROSTAR. Maiken and Anne-Julie Foght Schutt (DEN) win the event with Ida Marie Baad Nielsen and Marie Thuagaard Olsen a close second. "We have been training for about three weeks in Palma with the other teams and understand the conditions." explains Maiken Foght Schutt. "This week we had everything. When the wind comes from the land it is like in Denmark and with the regular sea breeze we can make the most of our good speed." Olivia Price and Eliza Solly (USA) win the medal race and the third place.

Nacra World Champions Billy Besson and Marie Riou win the medal race after winning the event with a day to spare. The french teams are performing well in Palma proving that good team work is paying off.
Silver goes to John Gimson and Hannah Diamond. Franck Cammas and Sophie de Turckheim (FRA) grab the Bronze by one point.

The top 3 remain unchanged in the 49er. New-Zealanders Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have been hard to beat, only threatened by German sailors Heil and Ploessel. Third goes to Brazilians Bianchi / Lowbeer. "I like to think that we have many strength and not so many weaknesses. We are working really hard and are consistent with our results." says Burling to explain their good form in Palma.

Finn Wold Champion Giles Scott (GBR) took the medal race and the title. The Finns were blessed with the best conditions out there today. After being sent out and back to the shore in the dying winds, the Finns went back out to enjoy a perfect 15 knots seabreeze allowing pumping. "We had a very good medal race." confirms Giles Scott. "It went well for me – I managed to come away with the win and seal the Championship, which is obviously great news for me!" Scott had to borrow a boat to sail most of the regatta after damaging his Finn earlier this week. "It was good to see how I could go in a different boat. Finns are very personal, so to be able to use someone else's and still come away with the regatta win, you have to take some positives from that and it's all good practice." Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) is taking Silver and Finnish Tapio Nirkko the Bronze.

Female RS:X World Champion, Charline Picon is securing yet another event victory and is continuing on her good form. Lilian de Geus conserves her earlier second place while Eugenie Ricard (FRA) climbs to third overall.

Many stories developed in Palma this week with countries Olympic selections spicing up the contest.

The attention was especially focussed on the Dutch team for which Olympic selection was on the table in many classes. The Trofeo IBEROSTAR was the last chance for Nicholas Heiner to keep the Dutch Laser Olympic trial opened against Rutger Van Schaardenburg. The 2014 ISAF World Champion needed to be in front to extend the trials. "I am very pleased that my results are so good that I have prolonged the national selection with Rutger." explains Heiner, "Above all very pleased with the fact that I perform well under pressure, when it is needed. For the first time I am not on my back foot in this selection. It is all square and we start with a clean slate."

The 49er FX medal race saw the end of a very intense and dramatic Olympic selection between Dutch teams of Annemiek Bekkering / Annette Duetz and Nina Keijzer / Claire Blom. The latest had an eight points advantage after the Miami SWC but were out of the medal race in 12th position in Palma, meaning that Bekkering/Duetz had to finish today at least in 4th position to overcome their rival. A 9th place in the medal race added two points too many to Bekkering/Duetz score who place 5th overall. Nina Keijzer and Claire Blom win the Dutch Olympic selection in the FX.

The third Olympic selection has concretised in Palma for Japanese RS:X sailor Makoto Tomizawa. The Trofeo Sofia IBEROSTAR has also marked the start of Japaneses Olympic selections in the women and men 470.

Paralympic Champion, Helena Lucas has retained her title after a very intense regatta against team mate Megan Pascoe and Norwegian Bjornar Erikstad who take second and third place.

Marc Patino and Pau Balaguer won the Dragon regatta over Patrick Monteiros and Pedro Manuel Da Costa Alemao.

The prize giving ceremony will take place tonight under the Cathedral to honour all the winners. Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain will present the awards.

Top three by class:

470 Men
1. Lucas Calabrese / Juan De La Fuente, ARG
2. Luke Patience / Elliot Willis, GBR
3. Johan Molund / Sebastian Ostling, SWE

470 Women
1. Jo Aleh / Polly Powrie, NZL
2. Camille Lecointre / Helene Defrance, FRA
3. Hannah Mills / Saskia Clark, GBR

49er
1. Peter Burling / Blair Tuke, NZL
2. Erik Heil / Thomas Ploessel, GER
3. Dante Bianchi / Thomas Lowbeer, BRA

49er FX
1. Maiken Foght Schitt / Anne-Julie Foght Schutt, DEN
2. Ida Marie Baad Nielsen / Marie Thuagaard Olsen, DEN
3. Olivia Price / Eliza Solly, AUS

Finn
1. Giles Scott, GBR
2. Ivan Kljukovic Gaspic, CRO
3. Tapio Nirkko, FIN

Laser
1. Philipp Buhl, GER
2. Jesper Stalheim, SWE
3. Nicholas Heiner, NED

Laser Radial
1. Evi Van Acker, BEL
2. Alison Young, GBR
3. Anne-Marine Rindom, DEN

NACRA 17
1. Billy Besson / Marie Riou, FRA
2. John Gimson / Hannah Diamond, GBR
3. Franck Cammas / Sophie De Turckheim, FRA

RS:X Men
1. Kiran Badlow, NED
2. Julien Bontemps, FRA
3. Sebastian Fleischer, DEN

RS: X Women
1. Charline Picon, FRA
2. Lilian De Geus, NED
3. Eugenie Ricard, FRA

2.4 Metre
1. Helena Lucas, GBR
2. Megan Pascoe, GBR
3. Bjornar Erikstad, NOR

Kiteboard Men
1. Florian Trittel, ESP
2. Alejandro Climent Hernandez, ESP
3. Ivan Doronin, RUS

Kiteboard Women
1. Elena Kalinina, RUS
2. Anastasia Akopova, RUS
3. Jade O Connor, IRL

Dragon
1. Marc Patimo / Pau Balaguer, ESP
2. Patrick Monteiro De Barros / Pedro Manuel, POR
3. C. Carbajal / J. Company/N.Sanchez, ESP

#trofeosofia – Two Irish Olympic sailing campaigns are in action in this morning's medal races at the Trofeo Sofia in Palma, Spain. Laser Radial star Annalise Murphy and 49er skiff duo Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern will both contest the medal races. Each team can improve its overall position but neither can win.

In the Laser Radial class, Belgium's Evi van Acker has secured Gold before the medal race with a 26–points lead over early leader Alison Young. The World #2 has collected a near to perfect score in the final stage with five wins and a second place.

"Of course I'm very happy with the races in the gold fleet. I had a rough start of the regatta but I was able to press the reset button and start over in the finals. Today was more difficult with less wind and big waves. I made two nice comebacks so I am very happy." explains van Acker. "The goals for this year are to qualify and perform at my best at the test event in Rio this summer and at the Worlds later this year!" The two remaining medals will be coveted by the next five sailors including Annalise who lies fourth overall after what she described as a 'less than stellar day' yesterday counting a 26 and 36 in races nine and ten in lighter sea breezes.

Two wins for German 49ers Heil and Ploessel might not be enough to overtake the superfast kiwis on the medal race today. The Germans could take an edge on NZ's Burling and Tuke today by securing good start and maximising on their upwind, knowing that the kiwis are the fastest downwind. In any case Gold and Silver go to these top two teams.Belfast's Seaton/McGovern take the last medal race place in tenth overall.

#trofeosofia – Annalise Murphy of the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire enters the final day of racing this morning before Saturday's medal races in third place overall at the Trofeo Sofia in Palma. Breeze lovers in all classes made the most of the conditions with some perfect scores and are closing the gap on some of the regatta leaders. Today will see the last day of finals and the last chance to break into the top ten for medal race participation.

One of Annalise's arch rivals, Evi Van Acker (BEL) is continuing undefeated in the Laser Radial finals with two more bullets added to her perfect score. It has been a formidable performance eclipsing Annalise's own heavy weather speed edge. The 2014 SWC Champion is obviously enjoying the breezy conditions and is closing the gap on Alison Young (GBR) who is conserving a one point lead going into the last day of finals. "There is a very strong competition in this regatta. It has been good racing and I have been consistent in all conditions. We will see what the rest brings in." Van Acker said.

Annalise's capsize dropped her out of the top ten for the first time in the competition, scoring an 11th, her discard, in race seven. The main hope for an Irish sailing medal in Rio tweeted last night: 'A hard day for me today including a unintentional swim in the second race. In 3rd overall now'.

After scoring some big points in the first day of finals, the Spanish FX team of Tamara Echegoyen and Berta Betanzos are back in contention with a win and top five results. They are placing second overall, just four points behind Danish sisters Maiken and Anne-Julie Foght-Schutt. The Royal Irish Yacht Club's Glamrockers Andrea Brewster and Saskia Tidey are in the top half of the skiff fleet, 21st from 47.

Despite a penalty collected for starting too early, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (NZL) are conserving a healthy 21 points lead over Erik Heil and Thomas Ploessel (GER), but can't make any more mistake. The German have also increased their lead to 22–points over Brazilian team of Bianchi and Lowbeer. Another two top ten places (7,8) scored by the Belfast Lough 49er pair Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern keep them eighth overall and in medal race contention barring slip–ups today.

Overall Class leaders going into Friday's racing are:

470 Men: Luke Patience / Elliot Willis, GBR
470 Women: Jo Aleh / Polly Powrie, NZL
49er: Peter Burling / Blair Tuke, NZL
49er FX: Maiken Foght Schutt / Anne-Julie Foght Schutt, DEN
Finn: Giles Scott, GBR
Laser: Philipp Buhl, GER
Laser Radial: Alison Young, GBR
NACRA 17: Billy Besson / Marie Riou, FRA
RS:X Men: Julien Bontemps, FRA
RS: X Women: Charline Picon, FRA
2.4 Metre: Megan Pascoe, GBR
Dragon: Patrick Monteiro De Barros / Pedro Manuel, POR

Class winners:
Kiteboard Men: Florian Trittel, ESP
Kiteboard Women: Elena Kalinina, RUS

#rio – After an early lead this week Annalise Murphy dropped to eighth on Tuesday but this morning is back up to second overall as Spain's Trofeo Sofia regatta in Palma moves into its final stages. The Radial fleet has been full of surprises with change of leadership and some unexpected outcomes all week. Regatta favourite Marit Bouwmeester of Holland retired from the competition on the second day with a shoulder injury. Despite the absence of the world #1, the Gold fleet shows no shortage of talents. After a productive "off season" in Australia and two victories at Sail Sydney and the Melbourne SWC, Alison Young (GBR) has returned to take the lead of the Gold fleet in front of Annalise Murphy and Anne Marie Rindom (DEN). World #2 Evi van Acker (BEL) took the bullets today to climb into fourth position.

The Trofeo Sofia title will be hard fought today and tomorrow with medal races scheduled for Saturday morning.