Lynch keeps medal hopes alive

SAILING: IRISH LASER sailor Finn Lynch battles to keep Ireland's medal hopes alive in ninth place overall this morning as the Four Star Pizza ISAF Youth (under-19) world championships pass the halfway stage in challenging conditions off Dún Laoghaire.

Last night as scores were totted across the eight competing classes the leading European sailing nations of Britain, Spain and France were emerging as expected as top performers after five races of the 61­ nation world championships sailed on Irish waters for the first time.

There was little home advantage yesterday as shifty 10 knot north-westerly winds and rain squalls brought mixed fortunes for Ireland’s five-boat team on Dublin Bay. Single hander Lynch was fifth overall in the Laser Radial Boys division at lunch-time but slipped in the unpredictable conditions yesterday afternoon, when the 16-year-old scored 22 in his 58­boat dropping him four places to ninth overall.

“I think I’m doing pretty good. All the races in and I’m hanging in there in the shifty stuff,” Lynch said as he came ashore last night.

But there was disappointment for Royal Cork duo Patrick Crosbie and Grattan Roberts who held third overall after two races on Saturday. They dropped 13 places in the “snakes and ladders” conditions after counting a 17, 20 and 16 yesterday to be in 16th place in the 30-boat 420 boys class.

Ireland’s most experienced team member Sophie Murphy who is sailing in her third ISAF championships has also slipped back. Now in 17th place after a 25, 13 and 19 she lies 18 points outside the top 10.

Ireland’s first ISAF catamaran crew, Dún Laoghaire’s Alexander Rumball and Rory McStay, are 10th from a fleet of 15 in the SL16 class. In spite of only stepping in to the 29er skiff at Christmas former Optimist dinghy sailors Seán and Tadgh Donnelly also from Dún Laoghaire are 11th from 24 starters in the 29er skiff dinghy.

Overall Britain’s Saskia Sills continues with her runaway performance in the girls RSX windsurfing class. She added another win and a second place to lead by eight points at the halfway stage of the competition. Britain also tops the SL16 catamaran class where Rupert White and Tom Britz are four points clear of Australia’s Paul Darmanin and Lucy Copeland. America’s Mitchell Kiss shares an equal 34 points with Italy’s Marco Zani at the top of the Laser Radial boys class.

The ISAF Youth World Sailing Championship is renowned for providing the world with its first glimpse of future sailing superstars. Fifteen of the sailors who won medals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games are past medallists at the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship.

Races six and seven in the overall 10 race series are scheduled for today at noon and the forecast is for stronger, gustier conditions. Tomorrow is a rest day for the 350-boat fleet. Racing concludes on Friday with an open air prize giving and fireworks display at Dún Laoghaire’s harbour plaza.