Tokyo 2020: Dickson and Waddilove enjoy dream start to win opening 49er race

Savour the moment.

The opening race in the Olympic regatta for one of the highest profile classes, not least for the national colours of each team adorning their sails.

And there, smack at the front of the fleet is the green, white and orange tricolour on the leading boat.

Howth Yacht Club's Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove from Skerries Sailing Club sailing to their full potential and beating more established form crews with Olympic medals, world championships and much more to their credit.

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For sure, it’s the first of 12 races and then a medal race to go for the top 10.

No way will Wednesday’s or subsequent day’s races be a sure thing; the others have had a wake-up call from the Irish youngsters and the competition will only get tighter.

Dickson and Waddilove were actually prospects for the Paris 2024 games.

Previously world under-23 champions, the added year to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics gave them more time to prepare and then qualify Ireland in Lanzarote just five months ago.

“We’re just sailing like another regatta except we have our training regattas, our important regattas and then our peak regattas like the Olympics but the processes are the exact same,” said Waddilove ashore in Enoshima.

“Treating it like that means we can come into it [the Olympics] with not too much pressure and not too much expectation.”

But Covid has had an undeniable impact across the sporting spectrum when it comes to preparation, training and competition ahead of Tokyo.

Quality game time has been sorely absent. And the class favourites, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke from New Zealand were absent from the class due to America's Cup commitments.

“With the pandemic, we didn’t know what the southern hemisphere guys were up to – the Kiwis, the Australians and also the Japanese,” said Waddilove. “So, it was great to finally get out on the water with them and see that everyone is still really tight and no one has made massive advances against each other.”

Also in Tokyo on Tuesday, Annalise Murphy regained some of her previous form to deliver her best day after her shaky opening to her third Olympic appearance by scoring ninth and 10th places in the women's single-handed event.

The day’s results moved her from 33rd to 20th place overnight with four races remaining after a rest day on Wednesday.

A place in Sunday’s medal race final remains a reasonable prospect if she can build on her form further. A podium place is also a mathematical outcome though requiring considerable reversal of fortunes elsewhere in the leaders group.

Meanwhile, there was good news from Lake Garda in Italy at the start of the week where the Laser Radial Youth World Championship is being sailed.

Howth YC’s Eve McMahon won both of the opening day’s races to lead the girl’s event at Arco followed by a third place on Tuesday to give her the overall lead.