The second week of the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing regatta is underway in Marseille, with two notable Irish events poised to end on Monday at the Roucas Blanc Marina. The men’s and women’s single-helix competitions in the ILCA 7 and ILCA 6 dinghies, earlier known as the Laser Standard and Radial classes, have only two remaining fleet races.
Despite the significant intensification of the weather conditions over the weekend, the notorious Mistral wind’s near-gale strength never wholly emerged, but both Finn Lynch and Eve McMahon seemed to thrive in the physical challenge. Sunday was rather mild but featured a gentle yet consequential ebb tide, which led to a more-than-two-hour delay in the men’s first race. Lynch scored 13th in this, only three spots behind the runaway leader of the series, Australian world champion Matt Wearn.
Wearn landed at the 10th spot in the day’s second race, while Lynch advanced to 11th, propelling him to the top 10 overnight – a move from 15th the previous day. With only two races left, Wearn continues to be a strong contender for the gold. Lynch, who arguably had podium ambitions, carries burdensome scores from the series start. Should he hope to retain his top 10 fleet finish and participate in Tuesday’s final medal race, a performance akin to Sunday’s is required.
In contrast, McMahon managed to climb up to the 14th overall from 17th after a strenuous Sunday. She is still 22 points behind her class’s top 10; however, reaching the final medal round in her first Olympics remains a significant milestone for a novice. Yet the ambitious Howth sailor is inspired by the significant time spent with seasoned athletes.
“McMahon shared her experience of training with Anne-Marie Rindom, the Danish World Champion, mentioning their deep friendship. McMahon valued the chance to compete against an elite from the sailing world and cherished the bond they’ve built outside the racing environment.
She expressed ample admiration for her fellow athletes and acknowledged numerous friendships within the group. But once they sail away in their individual boats, friendly ties get momentarily paused, resuming only upon reaching dry land.
The final sailing events drawing the focus of Ireland are the two single-handed tournaments set to close the journey to Paris 2024.”