Tokyo 2020 sailors Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) and Seán Waddilove (Skerries Sailing Club) made further gains at the Olympic 49er skiff class World Championships in Mussanah, Oman today and lying third overall, according to provisional results.
The Dublin crew had third and sixth places before repeating the opening day's performance by ending the day with a race win.
Dickson and Waddilove's second race had been set for a top-three finish on the final leg into the finishing line when they were caught by a 25-degree wind-shift that dropped them to sixth place.
The pair now lie fourth overall with another day of qualification racing planned on Thursday to decide the Gold fleet line-up for the series that ends on Sunday.
Just four points separate the 2018 junior world champions and Afloat Sailors of the Year from the overall lead.
Ireland's other pairing in Oman, the new team of Séafra Guilfoyle with Johnny Durcan (Royal Cork YC) also had a strong day, counting 12th and tenth places before ending with a third place in their first-ever World Championships together.
Forecast conditions of medium winds didn't fully materialise at Mussanah and a sea breeze proved highly tricky and challenging across the fleets in action.
The 49er fleet saw teams go from hero to zero on some of the beats today. Korean and Indian teams felt the pain after their sides caved in as they neared the weather mark. But downwind speed and linking into long shifts allowed the top three in most races to fight amongst themselves.
Locked into that tight battle was the still-hot Australian team of Otto Henry and Miles Davey, who now sit in first.
There is a massive squad of young and hungry Australian skiff teams ready to take over the mantle left by Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen. Almost all of them are stuck at home, however due to virus travel restrictions. All but for Henry and Davey, who escaped in August to race the Junior Europeans and never went back.
Unable to return home, they’ve practiced and raced for the European fall season, gotten to the worlds, and landed on top of the standings after day two. They are as surprised as anyone. Even after a good day on day two, with a 2, 13, 5, they didn’t expect to be trading their third place Forward WiP leaders jerseys for yellow ones.
At nineteen and twenty respectively, Henry and Davey are living the vagabond life Australians dream about. They are under no illusion, however, that the rest of the regatta will be easy. They did seem convinced all their buddies back home will now be saying, ‘That would be us if we were in Oman.’
Meggendorfer with Spranger (GER) had the best day on the water with a 4, 2, 2 and seem pleased to have escaped without any pitfalls. They are tied with the young Aussie team.
Among the 49er teams that sailed well today there seems to be little agreement on how to best navigate the racing. Some claimed fighting hard right was the key. Others looked to play the shifts, but not too hard without over playing things. Others thought picking opportunities to go right was the key, but not to dig in too deeply. After fifteen raceable days in a row, the fleet still has plenty to learn about how to play the venue.
Results are here