Original article on Afloat.ie
An arm injury that proved no obstacle for Ireland’s Finn Lynch when he recorded fourth overall at the first World Cup of the season earlier this month may be the reason behind the National Yacht Club‘s comparatively lower scores so far at France’s massive 53rd Semaine Olympique Française de Hyeres.
Lynch and Paris 2024 rival Ewan McMahon both made the Gold Fleet yesterday but have a fight for top ten medal race contention to be decided today and tomorrow (Friday) over the next four races on the Cote D’Azur.
Coach Vasilij Zbogar said, “Finn still has some issues with his arm from Palma so let’s see how it goes in the next two days”.
Lynch lies in 25th overall in a fleet of 128 after finishing 13 and 2 on Wednesday. Howth Yacht Club’s McMahon is in 35 overall after a 6 and 22 placing.
Germany’s 2020 World Champion, Philipp Buhl took the lead and a discard advantage after Australia’s Olympic champion, Matt Wearn, was UFD in the starting sequence of the second and final race of the day.
They will now face each other for the first time in the gold fleet, and Wearn cannot afford a slip up with Buhl’s consistency in finishing 1, 3, 1, 1, 2, 1 in the six races so far.
Just behind them lies Pavlos Kontides, the first Cypriot to ever win an Olympic medal (silver in London 2012). But his 10th place in the last race also leaves him more vulnerable.