After 13 months without full-strength competition, Ireland’s Olympic 49er skiff hopefuls made a strong start to the Spring Championship off Lanzarote earlier today (Sunday 21st March 2021).
Former World Under 23 Gold medallists Robert Dickson (Howth YC) and Sean Waddilove (Skerries Sailing Club) topped the Day 1 leader-board as the qualification round started with three races in which the Dublin pairing delivered a 3-3-1 result.
Double-Olympic veteran Ryan Seaton (Ballyholme Yacht Club) with crew Séafra Guilfoyle (Royal Cork YC) had an 11-8-8 for the day in the same 21-boat flight.
Conditions off Playa Blanca in the straits between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura were very unpredictable in the fresh trade-wind conditions with added ocean swell.
A single nation place remains for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo with at least four other nations in contention this week. Rio 2016 Silver medalist Annalise Murphy is currently the only confirmed sailor for Tokyo while the Laser Men’s final qualification event takes place in Portugal next month.
“It was very tricky with the wind coming off the mountains so a ‘head out of the boat’ day but all-in-all, a great start to the regatta,” commented James O’Callaghan, Irish Sailing’s Performance Director. “There’s a long way to go in this regatta but we couldn’t have asked for a better start.”
Three days of qualification races will decide the split for Gold and Silver fleets on Wednesday that will go on to decide the medal race final on Friday (26th March).
