Nine countries in the top ten overall at the Laser Radial Women's World Championships in Mexico yesterday indicates the events close proximity to August's Rio Olympics. Ireland is not yet represented in this ultra competitive line up but at least two top ten results yesterday for Dublin's Annalise Murphy put the National Yacht Club sailor up into 30th overall.

2014 World Champion and 2012 Olympic Silver medalist, Marit Bouwmeester is leading the 2016 Laser Radial Worlds being sailed in Mexico, with two US sailors in hot pursuit. Bouwmeester has won four of her six races in the qualifying rounds so far in the 71–boat fleet.

A 25 in race four for Annalise followed by five and eight scored in races five and six saw the 2013 European champion move up 17 places from 47th after a discard in the pointscore.

Howth Yacht Club's Aoife Hopkins, the 17–year–old who is competing at her first senior world championships is now 47th after scoring 26, 22 and 28 yesterday.

Qualifying rounds for Monday's all–important gold fleet continue today.  Results here.

Howth Yacht Club teen Aoife Hopkins has taken a lead over Dun Laoghaire's Annalise Murphy (25) after the second day of the Laser World Championships in Mexico. The 17–year–old took a sixth in race three yesterday to put her in 38th overall, eight places ahead of Annalise Murphy in 46th in the 71–boat fleet. The Banderas Bay event is the third trial for Ireland's Rio berth, a series that London 2012's Annalise leads overall. 

Racing was postponed until the wind filled in yesterday, but organisers report there was a clean first start before 2pm. The Yellow qualifying fleet completed two races in 8-10 knots of breeze, but the second race of the Blue fleet was abandoned on the second beat in a dying breeze and will be re-sailed today.

CH Marine–backed Hopkins was elated with the result in the star–studded fleet, 'I'm absolutely thrilled, I got a 6th today in the first race. I was coming top 10 in the second race when I capsized at the leeward mark'. 

Annalise Murphy scored 26 in race three. A lot of sailing still lies ahead at these championships. Qualifying races for Monday's important gold fleet cut continue with two more rounds today.

After an untypically poor start (17), top Dutch helmswoman Marit Boumeester moved back up the rankings to fifth overall scoring her second win of the series in race three yesterday. 

Results after race three (presented in ascending in sail number order but editable online) are here 

Racing in winds up to 15–knots, the opening race of the 2016 Laser Radial Worlds in Mexico produced some untypical results yesterday with top seed Marit Boumeester of Holland in an untypical 17th position in the 71–boat fleet. Both of Ireland's campaigners finished just outside of the top half of the fleet with Aoife Hopkins of Howth Yacht Club one place ahead of Annalise Murphy of the National Yacht Club in 33rd and 34th respectively. Download full results below as a PDF file.

In yesterday's second qualifier, both Irish competitors recovered form with Annalise taking a seventh and Aoife 16th to put Annalise 43rd and Aoife 52nd overall. Qualifying continues today with two more rounds. The race to make the gold fleet cut at the end of the 32-nation qualifying series by Monday is well and truly on.

The event doubles as the final of three Irish Olympic trials to decide who Ireland will send to the Rio Olympics, a series that London 2012 veteran Annalise currently leads.

Wind conditions at Vallarta Yacht Club on Banderas Bay on Mexico's Pacific coast are expected to continue in the 15–knot range.

Event website is here

Annalise Murphy and Aoife Hopkins are the two Irish entries in a 72–boat fleet drawn from 32 countries for the 2016 Laser Radial Women's World Championships this Thursday. As well as an important build–up to the Olympics in Rio the championship is the last of three Irish Olympic selection trials for the Irish place. 

Of the 72 sailors competing, ten finished in the top 20 at the 2012 Olympics in London, including Ireland's Annalise who finished fourth.

The National Yacht Club's Annalise (25) leads the 2016 trials with some comfort from 17–year–old Aoife of Howth Yacht Club after an expensive series of regattas, first in December at the 2015 Copa Brasil de Vela and then January's 2016 ISAF Sailing World Cup in Miami, USA. 

The championship is taking place on the Pacific Coast of Mexico on the waters of Banderas Bay which Hopkins believes is the definition of 'champagne sailing' after three days of training on the race area.

Thanks to the shape of the bay and surrounding land area, Banderas Bay is fortunate to have a very predictable daily thermal wind. Locals say they enjoy about 5 hours of good winds per day, from 13:00 to 18:00. The direction of the thermal is generally 220-240 degrees, and speed varies between 4kts at the beginning and end of the thermal period, up to approximately 18 knots at during peak periods.

Irish Laser Radial ace Annalise Murphy will come up against American Paige Railey at the Olympic Regatta in Rio this August, after the Floridian sailor was named as part of the U.S. Olympic Sailing Team this morning.

Railey got the nod after earning the best combined scores during US Sailing's two-regatta selection series for the Radial (women's one-person dinghy).

Rio 2016 will be the second career Olympic Games appearance for the World Champion, Rolex World Sailor of the Year and US Sailing Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year.

Murphy recently declared there were eight sailors capable of winning gold in Rio. Other than herself, she didn't name the eight but it is almost certain Murphy included Railey in her short list.

"Growing up, I never dreamed I'd be a two-time Olympian," said Railey shortly after returning to shore at the the Laser Radial European Championship in Las Palmas, Spain, which formed the second and final part of the U.S. selection series in this class. "I remember finding out that Rio de Janeiro would host the 2016 Olympics while I was in Weymouth, England, training for London 2012. It immediately became a goal and a dream of mine to get to the 2016 Games, because Rio is one of my favorite cities in the world." Railey said her love of the city was cemented during her Rio 2007 Pan American Games experience, where she won gold.

The European Championship featured large waves, proved to be a tough, physical battle for all competitors in Las Palmas. Railey noted that any Olympic selection event presents a significant mental challenge as well. "This week was tactically hard, and it made [the selection process] difficult. I didn't want to leave anything to chance. It's always a learning experience to deal with that kind of stress."

Railey also received a boost from her brother, two-time Olympians and Beijing 2008 silver medalist Zach Railey (Clearwater, Fla.). "Before this regatta, Zach told me to embrace the stress, and mentally take everything head on. That advice was in my head this week, and it definitely helped." Whether the two siblings will go to the Olympics together, as they did in London, will be determined next week, during the final regatta in the U.S. Finn class selection series.

Annalise Murphy from the National Yacht Club has dropped back to 28th overall after nine races sailed in the gold fleet of the Laser European Championships at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria this morning. The Irish sailing star was seventh at the beginning of the week. 

14 out of the World's top 20 female Laser Radial sailors are competing in the 50 boat gold fleet. Conditions for the second last day of the championship ranged between 5-6 knots and 10, with less waves than previous days. The final three races will be sailed today. Time limit for the last race is 16:00.

11 male and female Laser sailors from around the Irish coast are competing in the important regatta. Nicole Hemeryck from the National Yacht Club is 72nd, Aoife Hopkins from Howth Yacht Club is 73rd and Aisling Keller 76th in a total fleet of 99.

The female leader board is headed by Dutch girl Marit Bouwmeester followed by Swedish Josefin Olsson.

267 sailors from 47 countries participate in this Championship, organised by the Real Club Nautico de Gran Canaria, the European Laser Association (Eurilca) and the Real Federacion Española de Vela (RFEV).

In the mens division after nine races sailed, Ireland's only gold fleet competitor Finn Lynch is 32nd from 63. In the silver fleet, Belfast's James Espey is 69th, Baltimore Finn Lyden is 77th and Kinsale's Darragh O'Sullivan is 115th. Seafra Guilfyole did not compete.

Although sailors with Rio Sailing Olympic ambitions are competing in Gran Canaria, Ireland is also represented in the mens Radial where after eight races sailed Ewan McMahon from Howth Yacht Club posted is sixth. Former Topper World Champion Liam Glynn from Ballyholme Yacht Club is seventth. Conor O'Beirne from the Royal St. George YC is 14th

Results are here.

With big winds up to 20–knots and large waves Annalise Murphy from the National Yacht Club was very much at home and off to a flying start at the in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria  at the European Laser Senior Championship 2016 yesterday where she is ranked seventh after the first day's racing. 14 out of the World's top 20 female Laser Radial sailors are competing. The Irish sailing star recently offered a prediction that she is one of eight girls who can medal in Rio in August. Results for all three divisions are downloadable below.

11 male and female Laser sailors from around the Irish coast are competing in the important regatta. In the women's division Annalise is well ahead of Irish rivals so far. Aoife Hopkins from Howth Yacht Club is 57th, Nicole Hemeryck from the National Yacht Club is 61st and Aisling Keller 68th in a fleet of 88.

The Laser Radial female competition is very tight, the two leaders in their own groups are tied, as well as the girls in third position (with a 2nd and two 4ths), Finish Tuula Tenkanen and Chinese Xu Lijia -Gold medalist in London 2012. The female leader board is headed by Dutch girl Marit Bouwmeester and Swedish Josefin Olsson, both with three wins in their resepctive groups.

With winds gusting to over 30 knots, the fleet was kept ashore for the opening day, but racing has got underway yesterday.

267 sailors from 47 countries participate in this Championship, organised by the Real Club Nautico de Gran Canaria, the European Laser Association (Eurilca) and the Real Federacion Española de Vela (RFEV).

Although sailors with Rio Sailing Olympic ambitions are competing in Gran Canaria Ireland is also represented in the mens radial where Ewan McMahon from Howth Yacht Club posted fifth yesterday. Conor O'Beirne from the Royal St. George YC is eighth and former Topper World Champion Liam Glynn from Ballyholme Yacht Club is 19th.

Nick Thompson leads the Laser Standard class in the European Senior Championship. Three wins in the first three races gives the current World Champion the leading position in a demanding day. Finn Lynch of the National Yacht Club in 54th leads Fionn Lyden of Baltimore Sailing Club in 73rd. Ballyholme's James Espey (leader of the Irish Olympic trial) is 77th and Darragh O’ Sullivan from Kinsale Yacht Club is 100th. Seafra Guilfolye of Royal Cork is listed as entered by not competing.