Updated 20.18
TEAM IRELAND SIT in second place overall in the Men’s Skiff at the end of the second day of competition.
Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove had a brilliant start by finishing fourth and second in their opening two races of the day, but the day ended on a sour note when they were disqualified from their final race of the day.
The Dubliners were eighth across the line, but a protest lodged by Spain’s Diego Botin and Florian Trittel was upheld, leading to their disqualification.
After two days of racing, Dickson and Waddilove are second overall on 20 points, six behind leaders Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie of New Zealand.
After 12 races, the top 10 boats will qualify for the medal race in Marseille.
Competition resumes at 3.35pm tomorrow.
Yesterday, Dickson and Waddilove recorded a ninth, fourth and first in their opening three races.
This is the second Games for the duo, from Howth Yacht Club and Skerries Sailing Club.
They finished 13th overall in their category at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The black-sail skiffs are known as 49er for men and 49erFX for women.
Points are earned over multiple regattas — making sailing a marathon where medals are won by strategy and concentration as well as physical strength.
The pair are not the only Irish athletes competing in the sport at the Paris Olympics.
The Men’s Dinghy featuring Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) and Women’s Dinghy where Eve McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) will make her Olympic debut, will begin on Thursday.
– Additional reporting by Niall Kelly
