SAILORS READY FOR PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS IN MARSEILLES
As the first of Ireland's Sailing competitions gets underway this weekend (Sunday 28th July), all three crews are now resident at the Olympic venue in the port city of Marseilles on the southern French coast.
The four sailors are no strangers to the venue as the Irish squad established a training base at the venue more than two years ago in anticipation of a strong squad attending the games.
Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) and Sean Waddilove (Skerries Sailing Club) are first into action in the Men's skiff event (49er class) when their fleet series begins on Sunday.
Later in the event (1st August 2024), Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) and Eve McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) begin their respective events in the men's and women's single-handed dinghy events (ILCA7 and ILCA6 classes). McMahon is making her Olympic debut in 2024, hot on the heels of retaining her Under 21 World Championship.
All three boats have been training intensively in Marseille for the past two months and last weekend completed the move into the Olympic Sailing village at the Roucas Blanc Marina.
"We have had a very solid focused phase of training at the Olympic venue over the past two months," said Irish Sailing's Head Coach Rory Fitzpatrick. "It’s been a hard working but enjoyable period for the sailors aiming to hone their skills to the changing conditions in Marseilles. "Now the work is done everyone is eager to embrace the Olympics and put good sailing down on the race tracks."
It was a point echoed by the 49er coach Matt McGovern, himself a two-time Olympian.
"We are in a really good place, we have had a few curve balls such as cancelled sailing due to a weather front but nothing too big to handle," he said. "The guys are in good form and very relaxed and confident so as good as can be at this stage, a couple of days out."
The later start for the single-handers still leaves another four or five days available for training.
"So far, it's quite relaxing and the marina is getting busier every day," commented Vasilij Zbogar, Irish Sailing's Laser coach and a Slovenian triple Olympic medallist. "It's going according to plan after two really big blocks of training so we feel ready, we just want the games to begin."
While the three boats have sailed the equivalent of Ireland to the Canary Islands over the past year, the four sailors have also been preparing their fitness levels with considerable emphasis on cycling.
All four have clocked up impressive distances on their bikes. Lynch has pedalled the equivalent distance equates to cycling the Ring of Kerry 31 times while McMahon's distance on the bike would cover the Wild Atlantic Way 2.5 Times. Both Dickson and Waddilove could have cycled from Dublin to Cork 11 times - each.
Race Schedule can be found here: Olympic Sailing Schedule & Results | Paris 2024. You can also follow all Irish Sailing’s Olympic updates at sailing.ie/Olympics.
Or
49ers Sun, 28-Jul-24 14:45
49ers Mon, 29-Jul-24 13:05
49ers Tue, 30-Jul-24 15:35
49ers Wed, 31-Jul-24 13:50
49ers Thu, 01-Aug-24 13:43 Medal Race
ILCA 6 Thu, 01-Aug-24 14:35
ILCA 7 Thu, 01-Aug-24 11:15
ILCA 6 Fri, 02-Aug-24 11:15
ILCA 7 Fri, 02-Aug-24 13:23
ILCA 6 Sat, 03-Aug-24 13:25
ILCA 7 Sat, 03-Aug-24 11:15
ILCA 6 Sun, 04-Aug-24 13:35
ILCA 7 Sun, 04-Aug-24 11:05
ILCA 6 Mon, 05-Aug-24 11:15
ILCA 7 Mon, 05-Aug-24 13:40
ILCA 6 Tue, 06-Aug-24 13:43 Medal Race
ILCA 7 Tue, 06-Aug-24 14:43 Medal Race