McMahon and Murphy secure Gold Fleet spots

Eve McMahon and Annalise Murphy have secured their places in Gold Fleet following the second day of the ILCA 6 Women's World Championship in Dún Laoghaire. A fresh and gusty north-westerly breeze blew on Dublin Bay, with winds of approximately 15 to 20 knots and stronger gusts sweeping across the racecourse. McMahon recorded two mid-fleet finishes in the strong conditions. Difficult starts left her battling to regain positions throughout both races in a fleet featuring some of the world's strongest downwind sailors, including the USA's Charlotte Rose and fellow Irish competitor Murphy. McMahon ends the qualification series in 17th place overall, comfortably securing her place in Gold Fleet while leaving herself some work to do over the coming days. Olympic silver medallist Murphy relished the conditions and produced her best result of the championship so far, finishing fifth in the second race. The championship is currently led by American Charlotte Rose, who recorded two race wins as Dublin Bay served up ideal conditions for the stronger-wind specialists. Belgium's Emma Plasschaert sits second overall, followed by Denmark's Anna Munch in third. Gold Fleet racing begins tomorrow, when the battle for the top ten and a place in Saturday's medal series will intensify.