Double Olympians Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove are set to compete in the 49er class European Championships in Thessaloniki, Greece, starting 3rd June 2025.
This marks their second major event following a fourth-place finish at the Paris 2024 Olympics, a venue that also featured light winds.
Dickson and Waddilove are the top-ranked team who have not taken much of a break, looking to make the push through to LA. They and dozens of other teams are looking to use this first championship of the quad to jumpstart their support and ambition for three years' time.
After finishing 19th at the recent Princess Sofia Trophy, the duo is eager for a top ten result. The upcoming European Championship kicks off a busy summer season for them.
Light winds are forecasted for the event, raising concerns about possible delays. Irish Sailing's 49er coach, Matt McGovern, noted, “It’s going to be very light and very warm… a real tough regatta ahead."
The 49er fleet has also had significant turnover since Paris. Only 3 teams from the top 10 in Paris are in Thessaloniki, this week. They include 2024 European Champions, Hernando Umpierre with Fernando Diz (URU) and 2024 World Champions Fischer / Pequin (FRA), through in this case it is World Champion Erwan Fischer stepping out of the boat, leaving brother Kevin Fischer to take over while his partner has recently given birth to their first child.
The competition features 54 crews from 27 nations, with three days of qualification rounds leading up to the Gold fleet series. The top ten boats will compete in the medal race on 8th June.
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