Lynch goes into final day with high hopes of a medal
SAILING ISAF YOUTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS:HOPES ARE high that Blessington sailor Finn Lynch will secure a medal after today’s final race at the Four Star Pizza Youth World Championships. The Laser Radial class sailor moved from eighth to third yesterday thanks to an eighth and a fourth place yesterday.
If Lynch succeeds, it will be the first Irish medal at a youth worlds since Laura Dillon and Ciara Peelo won bronze in Newport, Rhode Island in the Laser 2 dinghy 16 years ago.
American Mitchell Kiss leads overall but Australia’s Mark Spearman in the silver position could be more vulnerable though Lynch has a bigger task of staying ahead of Norway’s Herman Tomasgaard who trails the Irish sailor by just one point.
Like the other seven fleets, the 58-strong Boys Laser Radial class will sail a single race final this afternoon at midday. The least amount of breeze is forecast for today, perhaps as little as five knots.
Two classes have already decided their winners after yesterday’s 11th race.
In the SL16 catamaran, current world champions Rupert White and Tom Britz from Britain won both races yesterday off Scotsman’s Bay and took gold though the remaining podium places are undecided.
Ireland’s Alexander Rumball and Rory McStay posted sixth and ninth places yesterday and lie ninth going into the final day.
Over in Seapoint, Spaniards Carlos Robles and Florian Trittel secured gold in the 29er skiff with a win and a fifth yesterday. The pair have another fifth place as their worst race to discard and with eight points to second-placed Lucas Rual and Thomas Biton from France they cannot be beaten. Ireland’s Seán and Tadhg Donnelly are in 10th place.
In other Irish results Sophie Murphy from Quoile on Strangford Lough holds 14th overall in the Radial Girls’ despite a discarded 31st yesterday. Patrick Crosbie and Grattan Roberts are 15th in the 420 Boys class.
