The penultimate day of racing at the 49er Olympic Qualification regatta in Lanzarote proved to be a very nervy one for the Irish teams seeking to secure Tokyo Olympic qualification. What appeared to be a comfortable lead was quickly eroded when nearest contenders Belgium posted a 5th, 1st and 12th compared to the 13th, 11th and 8th recorded by Robert Dickson (HYC) and Sean Waddilove (SSC), leaving a gap of 29 points going into the final fleet race tomorrow.

Once again, near-perfect conditions of ESE 12/15 knots were experienced by a 25 boat gold fleet. The Belgians sailed aggressively in the first two races, recognising early that the left side was favoured and going for it, while the Irish, defending their points lead, seemed to be somewhat more conservative, concerned more with avoiding disaster than recording podium finishes.

Racing was streamed live, with the Irish supporters being very active on the chat line.

The Irish pairing of Ryan Seaton (CYC) and Seafra Guilfoyle scored 18th, 16th and 4th to fall 9 points behind the Belgians.

Tomorrow's final fleet race will be particularly crucial for the Belgians, who cannot overtake the Irish in the fleet racing, but who will need to stay in the top ten to prolong the battle into the medal race. Worst case scenario, a 1st for Belgium and a last for Ireland (Dickson and Waddilove) in the final fleet race would see them entering the medal race with the Irish 5 points ahead. With medal race points counting double, the Belgians would then need to finish 3 places ahead of the Irish to secure the Olympic place.

Olympic Qualifying positions with one fleet race and the medal race to be sailed tomorrow Friday:

• 3 IRL Dickson/Waddilove 90pts
• 9 BEL Lefebvre/Pelsmaekers 119pts
• 11 IRL Seaton/Guilfoyle 128pts
• 12 ITA Crivelli/Chiste 130pts
• 15 ITA Anessi/Gamba 141pts
• 17 ITA Ferrarese/Togni 141pts

Full results here

Ireland's Robert Dickson (HYC) and Sean Waddilove (SSC) mixed good with bad in today's three races, a disqualification for premature starting following 3rd and 1st place finishes.  However, the chasing fleet didn't improve enough to displace the Irish from their 3rd place overall. And, more significantly, the nearest challengers for the Olympic slot fell further in the ranking to give the Irish pair a 38 point cushion entering the final stages.

Ryan Seaton (CSC) and Seafra Guilfoyle (RCYC) scored 13th, 11th and 14th to lie in 10th place.

Ryan Seaton and Seafra Guilfoyle lie in 10th place Photo: Sailing Energy

Racing took place in an 8 to 10-knot easterly breeze, graced with warm sunshine.

The Irish sailors will look to consolidate their position tomorrow in the final three races, with a target of two Irish boats in the medal race, but more crucially, aiming to maintain the 38 point advantage to secure the Olympic berth.

Overall scores, 3 gold fleet races and medal race to come.

• 3 IRL Dickson/Waddilove 58pts
• 10 IRL Seaton/Guilfoyle 94pts
• 12 ITA Ferrarese/Togni 96pts
• 14 BEL Lefebvre/Pelsmaekers 102pts
• 15 ITA Crivelli/Chiste 107pts
• 16 ITA Anessi/Gamba 109pts

Full results here

Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove have withdrawn their protest for a UFD penalty made against them in today's important Lanzarote International Regatta, the final Olympic Qualification event for the European 49er fleet.

As Afloat reported earlier, Dickson and Waddilove did file a protest seeking redress in the second race, claiming they were incorrectly identified as being over the line. However, when they appeared in front of the jury this afternoon it was to withdraw the protests, so the results stand.

Three of the seven countries seeking the one available Olympic slot have qualified for the gold fleet. 

Belgium is in ninth place, while Italy has boats in 15th, 18th and 19th places.  The top 25 boats from the qualifying series will compete in the gold fleet finals, carrying forward their scores from the qualifying rounds.  

The real battle begins tomorrow, Wednesday, with three races scheduled, followed by three on Thursday and a 10 boat medal race on Friday. 

The Olympic qualifying positions are as follows:  

• 3   IRL       Dickson/Waddilove        31pts
• 9   BEL      Lefebvre/Pelsmaekers    56pts
• 10 IRL       Seaton/Guilfoyle             58pts
• 15 ITA        Ferrarese/Togni              65pts
• 18 ITA        Anessi/Gamba                71pts
• 19 ITA        Crivelli/Chiste                 73pts

Full results here

Both Irish 49er skiff teams improved their positions in today's racing at the Lanzarote International Regatta.

Three races were completed in NE winds of 7 to 10 knots. Robert Dickson (HYC) and Sean Waddilove (SSC) combined two firsts with a U flag disqualification and now lie in third place overall.

Ryan Seaton (CYC) and Seafra Guilfoyle (RCYC) scored two seconds and a tenth to move into tenth overall.

Race 1 of the day was particularly exciting as the Irish scored a 1-2 in their fleet with Dickson/Waddilove edging out Seaton/Guilfoyle.

Dickson and Waddilove have filed a protest seeking redress in the second race, claiming they were incorrectly identified as being over the line. If successful, they would increase the qualification lead over the Belgians by five points.

Three of the seven countries seeking the one available Olympic slot have qualified for the gold fleet. 

Irish rivals for the Olympic slot in Tokyo - Ryan Seaton and Seafra Guilfoyle (11) chase Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove (99) on a downwind leg in Lanzarote today. Photo: Sailing Energy

Full results here

The Irish 49er team of Robert Dickson (HYC) and Sean Waddilove (SSC) didn't quite emulate day one's fleet leading performance but performed solidly enough to maintain Ireland's position as the leader in the battle for Olympic qualification. Two 8ths and a 6th saw the team drop to 5th overall as their closest challengers all recorded improved results. However, they maintain a healthy lead over their nearest challengers for the Olympic slot, Belgium, who, while not scoring as well as the Irish pair, moved up the rankings owing to discarding a 17th compared with the Irish team's 8th.

Fellow Irish competitors Ryan Seaton (CYC) and Seafra Guilfoyle scored two 12ths and a 5th to finish the day at 17th overall.

Racing on a more sheltered course area closer to Lanzarote’s mountains, lighter winds made for a tactically challenging day Photo: Sailing Energy

British and Danish sailors had the best day's results with all three races in the top five both to lie 1st and 2nd overall respectively.

The three fleets (49er, 49erFX and Nacra) enjoyed moderate north-easterly breezes in good sunshine with some shifts towards the top of the course closer to the land.

As of the end of sailing on day two, the crucial battle for Olympic qualification has the following rankings: Ireland (5th place, 21 points), Belgium (9th, 35), Italy, (12th, 39), Estonia (28th, 61), Norway (30th, 66), Russia (37th, 78) and Greece (39th, 83)

Tomorrow (Tuesday) will see three more qualifying races with the split into gold and silver fleets for racing on Wednesday and Thursday followed by the medal race on Friday.

A brilliant opening day's sailing by Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove of Howth and Skerries has put Ireland into pole position in the 49er European Olympic qualification shoot-out in Lanzarote today.

Great sailing conditions of a fresh breeze in warm sunshine saw the Irish pair record two thirds and a first in a 44 boat entry split onto two fleets.

17 races are scheduled in total over six days in the Canaries.

Ireland's other entry, that of Ryan Seaton and Seafra Guilfoyle scored an 11th and two 8ths to lie in 15th place after day one.

Ryan Seaton and Seafra Guilfoyle are 16th in the 44 boat fleet after the first three races Photo: Sailing Energy

Two more days of qualifying follow before the competitors are split onto gold and silver fleets on Wednesday for two further days before the medal race scheduled for Friday.

19 nations are competing, but only 7 countries are in the battle for the single remaining Olympic slot.

As of the end of sailing on day one, the ranking is Ireland (1), Belgium (13), Italy, (14), Estonia (17), Norway (30), Russia (35) and Greece (38).

Seven countries from 19 are in the battle for the single remaining Olympic slot Photo: Sailing Energy.

Immediately behind Dickson and Waddilove are the already qualified British, French, Croatian and Spanish teams.

Results are here

Northern Ireland Olympic sailor Ryan Seaton of Carrickfergus Sailing Club is set to miss the birth of his first child in his bid to reach the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

As Afloat previously reported, Seaton and team-mate Seafra Guilfoyle along with a Dublin team have one final chance to qualify Ireland for the Games at the Lanzarote International Regatta starting today.

Seaton's wife Jena, an Olympic medallist with Denmark in 2016, is due to give birth while he is qualifying in the 49er class in Lanzarote.

"I'm so fortunate that Jena is so understanding," the 33-year-old told BBC News.

"She is an Olympic medallist from Rio so she understands the commitment and the time required in the build-up to an event like this better than anyone," the father-to-be says.

Seaton and Guilfoyle have been in Lanzarote for three weeks as they prepare for their one shot at reaching the rescheduled Olympics this summer. Having finished 14th in London and tenth in Rio, Seaton now has Irish competition for the Tokyo place in the shape of up and coming Howth pair Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove. Both Irish teams are in a four-way tie for the single available place.

Seaton managed to visit Jena in Greenisland in County Antrim last week before jetting back out to the Canary Islands for qualification.

"I managed to get home for a few days to see Jena last week. It's nice to have the balance of life and sport. It makes me appreciate that I go can sailing and do what I love," he said.

Read the full interview on BBC here.

A former Irish Olympic sailing 49er coach is confident either of the two Irish skiff teams can win the four-way battle for the last Tokyo place this weekend at the International Lanzarote Regatta.

As Afloat reported last week, there are four nations in contention for one remaining place in the 49er class: Ireland, Estonia, Italy and Belgium. 51 teams are registered for the six-day event. 

Ireland will be represented by two teams; the experienced double Olympian Ryan Seaton (Carrickfergus Sailing Club) and Séafra Guilfoyle (Royal Cork Yacht Club); and first-time campaigners Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) and Sean Waddilove (Skerries Sailing Club).

Tytus Konarzewski who coached Dickson (23) and Waddilove (22), to Under-23 World Championship victory in 2018 offered an insight that it will ultimately be the crew that makes the 'less small mistakes' will succeed next week.

The Polish coach says: "For sure they have a chance. The question is: how are they prepared?"

Seaton (33), the 49er rep from London and Rio, and Guilfoyle (23) are being chased very hard by the former 420 dinghy sailors Dickson and Waddilove who first stepped foot in a 49er in 2015.

An examination of results from world-girdling Irish campaigns provides a form guide but even that is punctuated by COVID.

In only their third-ever appearance at a senior event, in December 2019 the Dickson and Waddilove qualified for the 49er World Championships Gold fleet after a high stakes day in Auckland Harbour, an event in which 'favourites', Seaton and Guilfoyle did not make the cut.  

Neither of the Irish crews then made gold fleet two months later at the 2020 Worlds in Geelong, Australia.  Then, after seven months without racing, Irish crews checked in with the European fleet at Kiel Week last September in a build-up to the European Championships. It produced some important markers for both Irish men's skiff teams, not least the fact that it was the Dickson and Waddilove that came out on top. The Howth pairing finished 14th some 13 places ahead of double Olympian Seaton and Guilfoyle who had a silver fleet finish in 27th place in the 52-boat fleet. 

Dickson and Waddilove's campaign had a meteoric rise with U23 World Championship victory in 2018 Photo: Sailing Energy 

Konarzewski, who coached the Irish 49erFX team in Rio, says that Seaton (who made the 2016 medal race final in Rio) would have been expected to have qualified Ireland by now. There is no doubting the talent of the 31-year-old who brought home the Silver Medal from the ISAF World Championship in Hyeres on France's Mediterranean coast in 2014 and two years later won the Gold Medal in the 49er skiff event in a keen fleet at the Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma in the build-up to Rio in 2016.

More recently, showing the depth of their ambition, Seaton and Guilfoyle placed sixth in the World Cup medal race at Enoshima, the site for the summer’s Olympics, in August 2019. 

Certainly, it's hard to fathom how after starting out ahead of the curve for Tokyo five years ago, Ireland is now in the 49er last chance saloon. However, 'we are where we are', as the saying goes, and the final chance to secure the last berth begins this Sunday.

In his time at the Irish Sailing Association, Tytus Konarzewski oversaw the 49er Development team with the aim of bringing them to an experienced competitive level in senior Olympic sailing, and preparing for the challenge of Tokyo 2020 and beyond to 2024. Tytus has over thirty years of coaching experience and is familiar with the Irish setup having coached our 49erFX team in the Rio Olympics Photo: Afloat

Konarzewski, who no longer works for the Irish Sailing Association, believes that Ireland can be on the 49er starting line for Tokyo in four months time and, significantly, also in Paris 2024, where he predicts we could be "medal contenders" in the men's skiff.

The two 49er teams are supported next week in the Canaries by Seaton's former London and Rio crew Matt McGovern and Laser coach Sean Evans.

Originally planned for the Princess Sofia Regatta in Mallorca (Spain), the last-minute change in venue for the Qualifier was announced in February due to COVID-19. The event is hosted by the Canary Islands Sailing Federation over three different race areas. Blustery conditions with strong winds and rolling seas are expected.

The competition begins this Sunday (21 March) and concludes next Friday, 26 March.

Two Irish 49er teams have their date with Olympic destiny in just a week's time when the final Tokyo qualifier takes place next week on the Spanish Island of Lanzarote.

One way or another, Sunday week (March 21st) will mark the culmination of five-year campaigns for two Irish 49er teams, bringing the curtain down on an eventful cycle for the Olympic skiff in Ireland.

The hope is that Ireland can be top of the unqualified European nations and win the one remaining slot. The key contenders are Ireland, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Estonia and Russia.

The ad hoc 'Lanzarote International Regatta' event was announced a month ago after the Princess Sofia Regatta was postponed. It gave the teams a month to arrive and prepare for the event, removing some of the uncertainty in Olympic circles caused by COVID-19.

All Ireland duo - Belfast Lough double Olympian Ryan Seaton is teamed with Cork Harbour's Seafra Guilfoyle

Youth v Experience

It will be a case of youth versus experience for Ireland in the Canaries. As Afloat reported previously, double Olympian Ryan Seaton teamed with Seafra Guilfoyle battle against 2018 Under 23 49er World Champions Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove, in their first Olympic campaign. Both are chasing the single elusive Olympic place and whoever grabs it will be deemed to be nominated to the Olympic Federation of Ireland for Tokyo in July.

49erFX

Ireland will have no role in the 49er FX women's class in Lanzarote as Annalise Murphy and Katie Tingle quit their skiff campaign in 2019 and Murphy went on to secure the nomination in the Radial class, so far the only Irish boat for the Tokyo regatta.

There is no entry list published for Lanzarote so far but it may see Dun Laoghaire Harbour's Saskia Tidey in action for Team GB. The Royal Irish sailor who is tipped for a medal in Tokyo opted to sail for Team GB after Rio citing 'lack of opportunities' for her at home.

Ireland's 49er skiffs that will face a final battle for Tokyo Olympic qualification will race two days earlier than scheduled at the Lanzarote International Regatta. Ireland will know if either team has been successful in securing a men's skiff team for the 2021 Olympics by March 26th.

The change in date for the hastily assembled Canaries Island event comes about due to ferry schedules back to mainland Europe.

Hyeres Regatta in France (the venue for the final European Laser qualification where Ireland is also seeking a final Tokyo place) has now updated its schedule with racing starting on April 5th which means 49er crews can compete in both regattas should they so wish.

The Lanzarote race days are now March 21-26, 2021 giving teams a month to arrive and prepare for the regatta, removing some of the uncertainty in Olympic circles caused by COVID-19.

Ireland has to be the top of the unqualified European nations to win the remaining slot. The key contenders are Ireland, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Estonia and Russia.

As Afloat reported previously, double Olympian Ryan Seaton teamed with Seafra Guilfoyle and Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove are both chasing the elusive Olympic place.