All three Irish sailors secure spots in Gold fleet with top 20 finishes at European championships
The ILCA European Championships in Athens witnessed improved wind conditions today, enabling all three Irish sailors to advance to the Gold fleet final round, set to conclude the event tomorrow.
In the fiercely contested ILCA 7 class, serving as the selection trials for the sole Irish spot in the Paris 2024 Men’s single-handed event, Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) demonstrated resilience after a challenging start, securing a third and a race win as wind conditions picked up during the afternoon.
Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club), Lynch’s contender for the Olympic berth, also delivered a strong performance with third and seventh-place finishes, along with a 20th place, positioning both sailors comfortably within the criteria for the fleet final round.
While the weather-disrupted schedule led to the cancellation of the Olympic-style medal race for the top ten boats, Eve McMahon (Howth YC), already confirmed for Paris 2024, showcased improvement in her overall position in the ILCA6 championship, currently standing at 14th place.
James O’Callaghan, Irish Sailing’s Performance Director, emphasized the significance of the ongoing process and the depth of talent at the senior level, anticipating further shifts on the final day depending on the number of races conducted.
Coach Annalise Murphy, guiding Eve McMahon’s training focus on starting tactics, expressed satisfaction with the progress despite the challenging conditions, highlighting the potential for McMahon to achieve notable results at the senior level within a relatively short timeframe.
