Howth Yacht Club's McMahon in Second As Laser Radial World Championships Enters Finals Stage

28th July 2016

Darragh O'Sullivan (IRL 200745) rounding the gybe mark of the seventh race in the Laser Radial Mens World Championships on Dublin Bay which is being jointly hosted by the Royal St George YC and Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company and runs until Saturday 30th July. Credit: Gareth Craig

350 Laser Radial sailors from 48 nations got wind in their sails at the KBC World Championships off Dun Laoghaire yesterday as the massive regatta passed its half way stage.

After three days of light winds at the Royal St. George YC hosted event it was all change today when fresh westerlies blew up ideal championship conditions of 15–20 knots and over on Dublin Bay.

Only 41 points separate the top ten sailors overall as the massive 229–boat boys fleet is split into gold, silver, bronze and emerald divisions for the final two days of the regatta.

Although protests were being heard last night and results are provisional, American Henry Marshall, ninth overall at the 2015 World Championships, leads the boys after eight races by a margin of eight nett points. Keeping Irish podium hopes on Saturday very much alive are two top ten performances from Howth's Ewan McMahon in second overall on 28 points and the host club's own Conor O'Beirne (current Irish youth champion) in seventh. Third overall is Britain's Daniel Whiteley who is ten points adrift of McMahon.

Howth Yacht Club sailor Ewan McMahon is lying second overall after eight races sailed. Photo: Afloat.ie

McMahon is seeking redress tonight after a double yellow flag kept him out of race six.

Five Irish boys have made it through to the gold fleet. As well as McMahon and O'Beirne, Royal Cork's Johnny Durcan (12th) and Liam Glynn (16th and Ronan Walsh (56th) are all in.

There is no doubt the regatta has so far served up conditions throughout the wind range as strong wind sailors finally got into their stride today but others had unexpectedly good results too.

Italian Paolo Giargia, who was fourth in last year's competition in Canada, said 'I'm not normally good in strong winds but today was my best day in Ireland so far, I scored a 10, 5 and 5 so I will make the gold fleet'.

Maud Van Olst (NED 207501) approaching the gybe mark of the sixth race in the Laser Radial Youth Girls World Championships. Photo: Gareth Craig

In the girls fleet, Norway's Caroline Rosmo took her first hit of the regatta under a black flag penalty in race six. She discards the result but still leads but only by two points from Australian Zoe Thomson on 35 points. Third is Croatia's Sandra Lulic on 66 with Dubliner Nicole Hemeryck one point back in fourth overall in the 76–boat fleet.

In the mens 42–boat fleet, after nine races sailed, Slovakia's Nik Pletikos on 44 points leads from
Poland's Marcin Rudawski on 48.0. Third is Brazil's Manzoli Lowy on 52 with Ireland's one time fleet leader Ronan Wallace fourth on 56 nett points.

Racing continues with two races tomorrow. Medium westerly winds are forecast.

Results are provisional here and subject to protest.

Published in Laser

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Published in Laser

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About the ILCA/Laser Dinghy

The ILCA, formerly known as the Laser, is the most produced boat in the world, with 220,000 units built since 1971.

It's easy to see why the single-handed dinghy has won the title of the most widely distributed boat of all time.

The Laser is a one-design dinghy, the hulls being identical but three rigs that can be used according to the size and weight of the sailor.

The class is international, with sailors from 120 countries. The boat has also been an Olympic class since 1996, being both the men's and women's singlehanded dinghy.

Three rigs are recognised by the International Laser Class Association (ILCA):