Irish Olympic ILCA 6 and 7 campaigners for Paris 2024 will be hoping for a consistent Wednesday at Mallorca’s giant 52nd Trofeo Princesa Sofia to get back on track in the all-important qualifying series.
The National Yacht Club's top-ranked Finn Lynch had a 19th result in his opening ILCA7 race but suffered a U flag penalty for early-starting in race two. He is currently lying 124th in a 184-boat fleet.
Lynch's rival for Paris 2024, Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club), rounded off a solid day with a 14th and 12th place to lie 31st, according to official results here.
McMahon's younger brother Jamie lies 142nd.
Shifting wind directions and big changes of wind pressure again taxed competitors and race organisers alike as Mallorca’s giant 52 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca assumed its full size and shape when all ten Olympic classes took to the racing waters over the course of a very long day on the Bay of Palma.
Eve McMahon
McMahon's younger sister Eve racing in the women's ILCA6 event, put the disappointment of an early-starting disqualification on Monday behind her to place seventh in the second race of the day and lies 66th in a 106-boat fleet.
With the programme over the first two days compromised by weather, the organisers need a consistent Wednesday to get the qualifying series back on track.
Olympic medallists started safely in the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 fleets. The Netherlands' triple medallist Marit Bouwmeester tops the Womens' fleet whilst last year's Men's class winner GBR's Micky Beckett in second today, is sandwiched between Croatia's 2016 silver medallist Tonci Stipanovic who leads and Matt Wearn of Australia the reigning Olympic champion.
"It was a long day for a single race but I am happy to have won it so it was kind of worth it." smiled Wearn, "I was going well in the second race too when they abandoned it and so overall I am quite happy with the way I am sailing. Last year we had 25-30kts on the first race here and I had a breakage which cost me the two races effectively so I am happy to have started well now. We have had a good, big summer of training at home with our squad and some racing at the Nationals Sail Sydney and Sail Melbourne and did some training with the Brits at the venue for the 2024 Worlds and so I think I am in good shape."
Bouwmeester, who has started with a first and third remarked, "That was an ok result. But after two days, we have only done two races. Yesterday we started twice, but both races were cancelled again halfway through, due to lack of good wind. Today, three races were scheduled. Indeed, the other half of fleet has done three and our fleet only two. We are suffering from rain and showers here and they are completely messing up the wind. Yesterday we spent six hours on the water and today seven. They are very long days for very few races."
In spite of spending seven hours afloat and although the conditions were sunny for much of the day with up to 15 knots, the wind direction oscillated over 20-30 degrees and a steady course couldn't be set by the race committee for more than three hours.
Conditions permitting, three further races are scheduled for both ILCA single-handed fleets in the Men's and Women's events for Wednesday which will conclude the qualification round to decide Gold fleets across all classes in the regatta.