Annalise Murphy has become the second Irish sailor to secure a berth for Ireland at the Rio Olympics.
Competing at the World Championships in Santander in Spain, Murphy finished 20th of the 120 boats.
Only the top 19 of the 58 nations competing earned their country a chance to compete at the 2016 Olympics, with Murphy ensuring Ireland finished 16th at an event where half the Olympic places were awarded.
The 23-year-old from Rathfarnham had to contend with mixed fortunes in Spain, with results ranging from fifth to 43rd as light conditions prevailed for the majority of the regatta.
Murphy found herself in 28th place (21st nation) overnight, with qualification for Rio hinging on her performances in today’s three races.
Murphy catapulted herself to the top of the fleet in the first race of the day. Neck and neck with the world’s best, she crossed the finish line in 13th place, exactly what she needed to boost her her up to 20th overall and 16th in the nation rankings.
Two further races had been scheduled for later in the evening, but those were subsequently cancelled due to a lack of wind.
"I started the regatta pretty badly so it was difficult to go back out on the second day and make Gold fleet," said Murphy. "But I had a really good day and then continued to claw my way back up the fleet.
"My primary goal for competing here was to win a medal but my secondary goal was to qualify the country. Unfortunately, I didn't quite reach my first goal but it's great to have been able to qualify Ireland in the Laser Radial."
There was a sense of déjà vu for Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern today.
The Providence Team IRL skiff sailors had been reseeded to the 49er Yellow fleet but perfectly mimicked yesterday’s results; a second and a 15th.
One further race will have to be sailed tomorrow by the Blue fleet in order to make a qualifying series. At that time, the overall positions will be known and the Gold and Silver fleet cut will be made.
The 20-knot breeze in the early afternoon caused plenty of drama for Ireland’s 49erFX pair. Andrea Brewster and Saskia Tidey broke their mast before the first race of the day had even begun.
They raced ashore where real sportsmanship quickly became apparent. Team USA and fellow team-mates Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern, as well as numerous others, rushed to their assistance.
Within moments they had replaced their mast and were making their way back out to the race course.
Within that time the race had been riddled with capsizes and was ultimately abandoned, which meant no penalty for the girls.
The FX fleets then had one race apiece in the afternoon. Brewster and Tidey finished 14th and now lie 35th overall. They’ll have two more qualifying races tomorrow before they separate into Gold and Silver.
There was only one final fleet race today for James Espey and the Laser Standard Gold fleet.
He finished 44th in Race 8 and 38th overall. The Providence Team IRL sailor qualified Ireland for the 2016 Olympics in the men’s single-handed class earlier in the week.
Finn Lynch and the Laser Bronze fleet had no racing again today for their final day of the regatta.
Lynch finishes his first Laser Standard World Championship in 101st place out of 147 sailors. No mean feat for the 18-year-old who only graduated to this highly competitive senior class earlier this year.
Ross Hamilton sailed three races today in the Finn class. He had a 33rd, 32nd and 30th leaving him 64th overall and qualifying for the Silver fleet for the rest of the Championship.
Racing will continue for the Finn class until the 21st of September.
