Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove have secured a place in Gold Fleet at the 49er European Championships in Eckernförde, Germany, after finishing sixth among the European crews at the end of the qualifying series. The Irish Olympians remain firmly in medal contention after three days of racing, with two race wins helping them through to the championship fleet ahead of the final stages of the regatta.
Thursday brought a dramatic change in conditions on the Baltic. The strong winds of the opening days were replaced by light, shifting breezes that rewarded patience, tactical awareness and precise boat handling.
Dickson and Waddilove made a strong start with a third-place finish in the opening race before a mistake on the first downwind leg in race two left them recovering to 15th. Despite that setback, they comfortably secured their Gold Fleet berth.
Gold Fleet: Ireland's Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove (IRL 99) race upwind during the qualifying series at the 49er European Championships in Eckernförde, where they secured a place in Gold Fleet and remain in medal contention. Photo: Nimanet
"We're happy to move into Gold Fleet in a strong position," said Irish Sailing 49er coach Benjamin Bildstein. "We're at the halfway point of the regatta now, and this is where the real racing begins. The leaderboard is incredibly tight, so everything is still to play for. We learned some valuable lessons in Kiel, and now we're looking to put those into practice as we keep pushing towards Sunday's Medal Series."
The qualifying series finished after eight races, with Britain's James Grummett and Rhos Hawes holding onto the overall lead despite the lighter conditions.
France's Erwan Fischer and Clément Péquin moved into second after being awarded redress when a Dutch boat collided with them at the start, injuring Fischer's wrist and forcing the pair ashore for medical assessment. World champions Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush are third overall.
Ireland's Erin McIlwaine and Ellen Barbour continue racing in the 49erFX Silver Fleet after narrowly missing the Gold Fleet cut.
"Our starts have been our biggest challenge throughout this competition, so that's going to be our focus tomorrow," said Irish Sailing 49erFX coach Matt McGovern. "We will be making a few adjustments so we can get off the line cleanly and quickly, and if we can do that, we'll give ourselves the chance to show the pace we know we have."
Ireland's development crew of Ben O'Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain recovered well from Wednesday's broken boom, posting sixth and 13th-place finishes to qualify for the Silver Fleet.
The championship now moves into two days of Gold and Silver Fleet racing before Sunday's Medal Series, with Dickson and Waddilove well placed to challenge for a top finish.
