#youthsailing – New Irish youth sailing star Seafra Guilfoyle has extended his lead in the 53-boat Laser Radial class at the ISAF youth worlds in Tavira, Portugal this afternoon. The Royal Cork single-hander has a three–point cushion over Martin Lowy (BRA) and Denmark's Patrick Dieter following two days of competition.

It was a late start and a late finish on the second day of competition with the last competitors reaching the shore at 21:00 local time.

The breeze came in late in the day and the first start came at 16:01 local time before the final competitors reached the shore at 21:00.

A light yet consistent westerly breeze ensured all eight fleets completed a full complement of races on the Algarve to shape up the leader boards nicely.

The performance on the Algarve is yet another example of the Munster man's grit that has already seen that the current all–Ireland junior champion take 15th overall at a 158–boat Europa Cup event earlier this season and this month finish in sixth place from 155–starters at the European Laser Youth Championships in Denmark. 

It was a day for Spain in the Laser Radial with three of four race wins going the way of Spanish racers.

Spain's Martina Reino was head and shoulders above the 46-boat girls fleet as she took double bullets whilst Joel Rodriguez took the fourth race bullet in the 57-boat boys division.

Reino moves up into second overall and was thrilled with her day, "I had very good starts and then the races were easy for me," smiled Reino.

"When you start the race very good you can go where you want and that's the easy part. In the first one I won by over a minute and in the second it was also by a big distance."

The opening bout for Rodriguez, 2014 Radial Youth European Champion, did not go to plan as he finished 12th but he bounced back and sits fifth overall. He explained his day, "In the first race I had a very bad start and was at the bottom of the fleet which made it difficult. I finished 12th and then in the second race I started good and with my speed I was able to win the race.

"It was a very close race with like five guys very close. The racing is at a very good level, very close and very difficult to win."

The Spaniards took a good haul of Nations Trophy points from the Laser Radial races and both sailors have an eye on the prize, "I think we can win the Nations Trophy but the other countries are very good and it's difficult to win but can do it," said Reino.

Rodriguez added, "I think the sailors come to win the individual regatta but if we can win the Nations Trophy then that would be great."

Haddon Hughes (USA) retained her lead in the Laser Radial Girls fleet with a discarded 18th and a second in race four. Italy's Valentina Balbi is third overall.

In the Laser Radial Boys Seafra Guilfoyle (IRL) holds on to top spot and is followed by and Denmark's Patrick Dopping (DEN).

And in a further boost for Irish youth sailing, it's not the only good news coming from decidedly mixed conditions in Portugal. In this afternoon's race three Sean Waddilove and Robert Dickson from Howth scored a fifth in the double–handed 420 class, their best result of the regatta so far.

Full results so far are here

SL16

2014 SL16 World Champions Louis Flament and Charles Dorange (FRA) took two out of three race victories to move into the lead in the 16-boat fleet.

From six races, the French duo have three bullets alongside a second, a third and a sixth to lead the fleet on eight points, seven ahead of Jordi and Ruben Booth (ESP).

After racing the pair said, "We had a good start and after that we controlled everything. We went fast and we won the races easily."

The competition is fast and fierce with little separation in the fleet and the pair know the challenges they face at the event, "The ISAF Youth Worlds is more difficult than the Open SL16 Worlds. The Spanish, New Zealand and finally the Brazilians are all very strong and are our main rivals," said Flament, "and Great Britain," joked Dorange with the British team in sight.

Flament and Dorange are revelling in their ISAF Youth Worlds experience with smiles aplenty amongst the youngsters. The pair concluded, "It's a special event because there's one representative from each nation and we're privileged to represent France. It's a pleasure and an honour to be in the French team and we are happy to represent our nation."

Overnight leaders Kim Vidal and Antonio Lopes (BRA) have dropped to third overall after finishing in the middle of the pack in their races.

Seven further races are scheduled over the remaining three days of competition with anything possible out on the race course.

RS:X

Whilst the 29ers were the first off the water, the RS:X fleets were last off, reaching the shore at 21:00 local time after completing three races in the RS:X Boys and Girls fleets.

Russia's Stefaniya Elfutina was the stand out performer in the RS:X Girls fleet taking double bullets and a fourth. She holds top spot on 11 points and is followed by China's Shi Hongmei and Italy's Marta Maggetti.

The top four RS:X Boys racers have cemented their positions in the leading spots with seven points splitting them. Overnight leader Yael Paz (ISR) tops the bills on 11 points and is followed by Mattia Camboni (ITA) on 14 and Radoslaw Furmanski (POL) on 17 points.

Competition in the RS:X Boys is close knit with the day's race wins going the way of Paz, Camboni and Spain's Antonio Bonet.

 

420

Japan's Ibuki Koizumi and Kotaro Matsuo and Malaysia's Mohammad Faizal Norizan and Ahmad Syukri Abdul Aziz picked up the day's 420 Boys race victories and have a strong hold on the top two spots.

Koizumi and Matsuo lead on four points and are followed by the Malaysian pair who have eight points.

In the first race of the day Faizal and Syukri read the conditions perfectly and lead from the off as Syukri explained, "We had a good start in the first one and at the starting line we crossed all of the fleet from the pin end. The Italians followed us and they finished behind us in second at the end.

"We will try to keep in the top five for the rest of the event."

Faizal and Syukri have been racing in the 420 for two year's having competed against each other in the Optimists. The pair had a string of success in Optimists and have transferred their skills expertly to the 420. With Japan in their sights and five more races to go anything can happen.

France's Hippolyte Machetti and Sidoine Dantes trail the Malaysians by seven points in third overall.

In the 27-boat 420 Girls fleet Theres Dahnke and Birte Winkel (GER) picked up a pair of second place finishes and move into pole position.

The Germans overthrew day one leaders Silvia Mas and Marta Davila (ESP) but only have a slender two point lead.

2013 silver medallists Nadja Horwitz and Carmina Malsh (CHI) are third overall.

29er

France's Brice Yriex and Loic Fischer Guillou (FRA) took top spot in the 30-boat 29er fleet after a second day of consistent racing on Tavira's waters. The French duo recorded a 1-4-1 scoreline and take the lead away from Hong Kong's Yann Thierry D'Argrenlieu and Nathan Bradley who drop to third.

Quinn Wilson and Riley Gibbs (USA) moved up to second overall.

Racing resumes on 13:00 local time on Wednesday 16 July.

 

#isafyouthnats – As Ireland hosts the Under–16 European Optimist Championships on Dublin Bay today, simultaneously the 44th edition of the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship has been declared open by ISAF President Carlo Croce at the opening ceremony in Tavira, Portugal.

Ireland is represented by a team of seven boys and girls who have been recording some promising results recently.

The 2014 ISAF Youth Worlds features 67 nations, an event record, with more than 360 sailors set to compete in five classes across eight events in the Algarve.

Sixty seven flag bearers and their teams paraded through Tavira towards the City Hall with local people, tourists, family and friends turning out to welcome the sailors competing at the premier youth sailing regatta.

Ireland's youth team for Portugal is Laser Radial Boy: Séafra Guilfoyle (Royal Cork Yacht Club) Girl: Sarah Eames (Ballyholme Yacht Club) 420 Boys: Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove (Howth Yacht Club) Girls: Lizzie and Cara McDowell (Malahide Yacht Club) and Sean Donnelly (National Yacht Club) and Patrick Crosbie (Royal Cork Yacht Club)

The traditional Mixing of the Waters followed, symbolising the collection and gathering of all the sailors from around the world. The 67 teams had brought bottles of water from lakes and seas from their home nation and poured them into a jug before the water was transferred into the Portuguese waters.

Speeches were delivered by ISAF President Carlo Croce, Chairman of the Organizing Committee Joao Pedro Rodrigues, Mayor of Tavira Jorge Botelho, Portuguese Sailing Federation President Jose Manuel Leandro and Secretary of State of Sports and Youth Emidio Guerreiro.

During the opening ceremony ISAF President Carlo Croce said, "I thank all of you for coming here from all over the world. The ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship is an important event and in its 44th year it's building up more and more. It represents the values of the International Olympic Committee. We see environment, accessibility, universality, fairplay and nice times for all.

"The sailors come to the ISAF Youth Worlds because it is the pinnacle event for a youth sailor. What I want to tell is, yes you're here to take the results of all your work but please remember that this event is for friendship. You need become friends with your competitors because you will meet them in the future and this is why sailing is a lifetime sport.

"I hope you enjoy your sailing and the regatta will be beautiful. The organizing committee have done a tremendous job and ISAF are pleased to be here."

As the ISAF Flag was hoisted Croce declared the 44th ISAF Youth Worlds open.

Sailors attentions now turn to the race action with the first start scheduled for 13:00 on Monday 14 July. Racing continues through to 18 July.