Olympians Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove remain firmly in contention at the 49er European Championships after ending the second day of racing in 10th overall in Eckernförde, Germany.
The Irish duo recovered strongly from an early setback to stay within five points of the top three ahead of the final day of qualifying.
After leading the standings on the opening day, Dickson and Waddilove were forced into a penalty turn for an early start in the day's opening race. The mistake dropped them to 21st, a result that became their discard. They responded with fourth- and fifth-place finishes before closing the day with an 11th, remaining inside the top 10 in a tightly packed fleet.
British pairing James Grummett and Rhos Hawes moved into the overall lead after two race wins, while New Zealand's Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn, Poland's Mikołaj Staniul and Jakub Sztorch, and France's Erwan Fischer and Clément Péquin are all tied for second on 16 points.
Irish Sailing 49er coach Benjamin Bildstein said the Irish crew had handled the setback well. "The guys had a solid day overall. Obviously, we were disappointed with the first race, but the important thing now is to settle into the regatta and keep the points close, which is exactly what they're doing," he said.
"The top 10 is incredibly tight, so there's still everything to play for. Tomorrow's forecast is for a completely different set of conditions, with the breeze expected to ease. It will present a new challenge, but hopefully we can maintain our consistency and put ourselves firmly in the fight for a medal."
Earlier starts and a longer sail to the race area followed changes to the course location after anchoring issues and restrictions due to a military zone within Eckernförde Bay. Four races were completed for the 49er fleet in 12 to 20-knot winds after one race was lost on the opening day.
The final qualification races take place on Thursday before the fleet splits into Gold, Silver and Bronze fleets for the championship's concluding stages.
In the 49erFX class, Erin McIlwaine (Royal St George YC/Newcastle YC) and Ellen Barbour (County Antrim Boat Club) climbed to 35th overall despite a capsize in the final race.
Irish Charge: Ireland's Erin McIlwaine and Ellen Barbour (IRL 107) power through the Baltic chop during the 49erFX European Championships in Eckernförde, battling for Gold Fleet qualification. Photo: 49erSailing
Coach Matt McGovern said, "It was a mixed day. Erin and Ellen's boat speed and handling are really encouraging, but we're still giving away too much distance off the start line. If we can solve that, I think they'll really start to show what they're capable of."
Irish development sailors Ben O'Shaughnessy (Royal Cork Yacht Club) and Ethan Spain (National Yacht Club) posted 16th and 13th-place finishes before a broken boom forced them to retire from the final two races.
