The speed bonus delivered by an innovative carbon mast that gave medal winning ability in 12-knots up to half way stage of the regatta was ultimately to blame for Maria Coleman's plummet from the top five when Portuguese winds blasted to 25 knots in the closing stages of the Europe Olympic class World Championships on Saturday.
In one of the most crushing blows since her Sydney Olympic finish (also below an expected top five result) the world ranked number two could only struggle in the heavy airs that dropped her from third place after 10 races to seventh after 15.
"It's been very disappointing to get this close to a medal. I'm going to have to resolve the heavy air issue" she said.
There was an upset too for Dutch girl Carloijn Brouwer, the regatta leader over 12 races, who lost the overall championship to the Finnish girl Sari Multala. Multala, the number one ranked Europe sailor proved her worth by taking the world title and now holds both accolades. Silver went to Brouwer. The bronze medal winner was Spain's Neus Garrigaturon.
Coleman (33) returns to Ireland this morning as coach the Irish squad for the Laser world championship to be staged on her home waters from July 30th.
As the ISAF youth worlds in Brittany, France Peter O'Leary has been making the best of a course that has been set close to the shore.
This proximity means the winds are very shifty and this is contributing to inconsistent results across the 39-boat Laser fleet.
Nevertheless the Cork youth has a win to his credit this week and lies seventh overall on 99 points.
A top five placing is within his grasp but he will have to oust his training buddy the South African John Eloff on 74 nett points.
Singlehander Debbie Hannah, from East Antrim, in the girls Laser division has also posted a race win but has other poor results that means she remains 14th out of 26 after seven races sailed.
In the double-handed 420 class team manager Anne Blaney has conceded that the Irish crews are lacking international big fleet experience and this accounts for the low placing of both so far.
Amy Byrne and Gillian Burke after seven races are 20th out of a 24-boat fleet. Their best result so far is 12th.
The 420s boys Spencer Mitton and Richard Franck from Dun Laoghaire lie 26th out of 29.
