Tokyo 2020 Irish 49er reps Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) and Seán Waddilove (Skerries Sailing Club) earned a fourth and an eleventh on Tuesday to be 19th overall on the opening day of the Princess Sofia Trophy for Olympic classes in Mallorca.

Shifting wind directions and big changes of wind pressure again taxed competitors and race organisers alike as Mallorca’s giant 52 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by Iberostar assumed its full size and shape when all ten Olympic classes took to the racing waters over the course of a very long day on the Bay of Palma.

Irish rivals for the single Paris 2024 berth, Séafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan (Royal Cork Yacht Club) got off to a rocky start posting a 19th in the opening race but falling foul of the Black Flag in their second race in a 97 boat fleet.

Results are here

France leads 49ers

France's Kevin Fischer and Yann Jauvin made their mark in the 49er fleet with a pair of wins in the yellow fleet replicating the opening of their compatriots Erwan Fischer and Clément Pequin who went on to win the class.

Helm Kevin Fischer reported, "Conditions were pretty light when we got on the water, then wind picked up a bit with different clouds and patches of wind. It was a very tactical day. First of it all it was the start, we need to put the boat in front of the fleet to have a good vision of the wind, we planned for a good start, a good line to be able to choose the best wind.  It’s a good way to start our regatta, but it’s very long. It’s a pleasure to finish a winter training block with two wins at a World Cup sailing regatta.  Today it was more about the wind shifts. Speed was important but the big gains were from taking the right shifts. And I’m from Brittany in France, we have a lot of clouds there, and I think that background helps me read a day like today in Palma."

With the programme over the first two days compromised by the weather the organisers need a consistent Wednesday to get qualifying series back on track.