The selection trials for Ireland's single Finn class Olympic Games nomination are reaching fever pitch at the European Championship in Ostend, Belgium, this week as two Irish sailors are both achieving top 10 overall results. Single-handers David Burrows and John Driscoll are now the remaining contenders following Colin Chapman's withdrawal from the series due to a persistent back complaint.
Burrows took the lead in the three-event trial series following the SPA Olympic classes event almost two weeks ago with Driscoll close behind. Since starting the Europeans last weekend, Burrows only conceded a point to his friend and rival Driscoll yesterday when the Malahide sailor had a 19th place while the Ballyholme sailor took 15th in the penultimate race.
Today sees the final race of the championship with Burrows in an incredible fourth place overall. While he is unlikely to take third place, his worst finishing position is likely to be sixth in a fleet of 77 boats that includes numerous Olympic medallists and international champions.
Driscoll lies 11th overall going into the final day but, critically, lags about 50 points behind Burrows in the trials points table. However, while the Dubliner would tend to be the favourite for the place on the Irish team at this stage, team observers point out that this gap could still close in just two races or a single day of racing.
The trials series format was agreed last year by the main contenders and the Olympic sailing team management for this season. Although the same regatta format could have been repeated this time next year, it was felt that it was too close to the games proper to allow proper preparation in addition to the added psychological pressure.
While Driscoll is a Finn veteran from two Olympiads, Burrows crewed with Mark Mansfield in the Star keelboat in 1996 but his full-time coach James Hynes is clearly also having a good effect on the 22-year-old. Hynes reckons that both sailors are broadening their preferred weather from windier conditions in which Irish crews have had a tendency to prefer to lighter winds experienced early on in SPA.
A high scoring points system is used for every race in the trials that gives 25 points for a first, decreasing by one point for every place after that. In addition, the final finishing place score for each sailor is multiplied by a factor of five providing an additional points boost at the end of each of the three regattas. After completing the Europeans today, both Burrows and Driscoll move to Germany for Kiel Week that begins in a week's time for the deciding event in this nail-biting series.
Meanwhile, another veteran of the 1996 Olympics ended best of the Irish at a recent high-performance event at Howth YC. Dan O'Grady with Emma McDonald crewing took fifth place overall in the B14 (Skiff) Europeans that took place over the June bank-holiday weekend. The 25-boat fleet had a full range of conditions including mountainous waves for the final day.
