49ers show best of Irish in sailing

49er pairing Tom Fitzpatrick and Fraser Brown picked up a second place finish on a day of delays but improved conditions for Ireland’s sailors on the Saronic gulf.

Dubliner Fitzpatrick, aged 29, and Newtownards man Brown, aged 34, cruised past American duo Tim Wadlow and Pete Spaulding in the closing stages of race 8 to seal a strong second place – their third top-five of the week - gaining each time on the downwind legs.

All that work, which saw them up to 11th overall, was undone in the next race however, as they slumped to 17th. They are 15th overnight.

Cork woman Maria Coleman scored 19th and 13th place finishes today in the Europe class, to leave her in 20th overall.

Rory Fitzpatrick, fourth for a time in the Laser fleet this afternoon, dropped back to 11th but still made a move on the ranking list from 34th to 31st. The 24-year-old has a final race on Sunday.

Malahide accountant David Burrows is in line to better his ninth place finish from Sydney four years ago, but will need a good run in the final Finn race tomorrow morning to move up from 10th.

Meanwhile 6’ 5” duo Mark Mansfield and Killian Collins start the first of 11 races in the Star keelboat discipline tomorrow, and with them go the nation's final chance of a sailing medal in Athens.

Four-time Olympian Mansfield is understandably bullish about their prospects in a strong 17-boat field. “We want a top five finish or better,” said the 42-year-old, “we’ll have to be very competitive but top five or six is attainable.

“There are about 10 teams capable of medalling and I would put us in the second of two groups of five. I’ve always seen it like that. Looking at the statistics though from previous events, one of the medal winners should come from that second group. So we all have a chance."

Mansfield and 26-year-old crew Collins finished fifth at last year’s World Star Championships in Cadiz, Spain.