Eve McMahon and Finn Lynch made some modest gains on the opening day of Gold Fleet racing at the ILCA European Championships in Croatia, as all three Irish sailors took to the water in bright skies and a steady nine to 12 knots of breeze.
Stable conditions throughout the afternoon allowed three races to be completed across all fleets.
In the men's dinghy, Lynch (National Yacht Club) found form again in the first race of the day with a sixth place. He finished the day with a 14th out of the 58-strong Gold Fleet leaving him fifth overall in the European standings.
"It was a mixed day for me, but I'm still in contention and that’s what matters at these big regattas," he said afterwards.
"There were some big shifts out there today, but I think good speed can make you look like a genius here. Some of the faster guys who got a good start and minimised their tacks really benefited. The wind will be offshore tomorrow, which brings a new challenge, so I’m excited to get back out there."
In the same fleet Ewan McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) had a strong start to the day with a ninth place but failed to hold on to that momentum and recorded two subsequent mid-fleet results. This leaves him 13th overall amongst the European challengers.
In the women’s dinghy fleet, his sister Eve delivered another consistent performance, recording a best finish of 10th place to move up to sixth overall. The Olympic campaigner also continues to hold third place in the Under-23 championship rankings as the regatta enters its final stages.
Development sailor Fiachra McDonnell (Royal Irish Yacht Club) narrowly missed out on Gold Fleet sailing but is still getting valuable competition experience under his belt and recorded a sixth place as his best today and leaving him 11th overall in Silver Fleet.
Racing continues tomorrow in Kaštela with two more days of Final Series and Gold Fleet racing.
