Howth Yacht Club's Aoife Hopkins achieved a personal best outcome at the women's Laser Radial (ILCA6) World Championships in Mussanah, Oman today after winning the tenth race of the series.
The Irish solo sailor had gone into the final day holding 20th overall and convincingly won the penultimate race before placing 17th to end the regatta 17th overall.
Hopkins started well and was first boat into the steadier breeze on the course before leading the 63-strong fleet around the first mark. As she has shown all week, her downwind performance was strong and she extended her lead for the remainder of the race for a very solid first place.
Belgium's Emma Plasschaert was crowned the new world champion after continuing the yo-yo battle across the fleet that saw her depose the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion from the overall lead.
Denmark's Anne-Marie Rindom had led the event twice during the six days but ultimately finished just outside the podium in fourth place.
Hopkins is part of Irish Sailing's Senior Squad working towards qualification for Paris 2024 in the women's single-handed event sailed in ILCA6 dinghies (formerly known as the Laser Radial).
Emma Plasschaert of Belgium
Emma Plasschaert of Belgium is the 2021 ILCA 6 Women’s World Champion finishing level on points with Agata Barwinska of Poland. Plasschaert finished ahead of Barwinska in the final race, crossing the line in third, to win gold while Barwinksa claims silver. Viktorija Andrulyte of Lithuania takes the bronze, two points behind. Olympic Champion Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN) finished fourth, four points off the podium positions, with Julia Büsselberg (GER) in fifth despite winning the final race. Just seven points separated first and fifth in the end.
Emma Plasschaert, new women’s World Champion, said, “Today, I went to the last day without any expectation, and just wanted to have three good races. I ended up with two good ones. It is a little bit surreal to come back on shore and not know what the points are. Am obviously super stoked about it and proud to be world champion!”.
“It came to here thinking aiming for top three,” Agata Barwinska (POL) said. “Am having a bit of bitter-sweet moment. I finished with the same points as Emma but am not saying that this is my last Worlds”. She added, “It was a lot of very good athletes like Anne-Marie Rindom who just won an Olympic gold medal. It was great to race against her. For me, it was a lot of light wind throughout the week, which I really like!.”
Julia Büsselberg of Germany, finishing fifth in the women’s race, said, “On the one hand I am very happy with my performance, especially on the last day. On the other, it is just seven points to the title and I had it in my hands in at least three of the races where I made a mistake so I am not one hundred per cent happy at the moment. In my opinion, the level of the competition was very high, nearly everyone has competed at the Olympics and will continue afterwards.”