Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove take second in dramatic final race in Lanzarote

After a week of disappointing race results at the 49er World Championship in Lanzarote, Ireland's Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove managed to place second in a dramatic final race to the Gold fleet series.

Following a good start, the Dublin pair led the way to the first mark before letting the eventual French world champions through.

However, Fischer and Pequin then slipped to let the Irish go through at the end of the first lap and the duel continued all the way to the finish where Dickson and Waddilove held their nerve to take second place under pressure from the chasing pack.

It was their best result of the 16-race series that started last Tuesday and while they also had fourth and fifth places, they also had some very disappointing back of fleet results that almost cost them a place in the Gold fleet on Thursday night when the qualifying round ended.

However, the pair have admitted that the strategy for handling Lanzarote’s tricky wind conditions let them down and the 49er fleet punishes such errors mercilessly.

Two further major regattas are scheduled over the next two months which also serve with the Irish selection trials to see which crew will compete in the men’s skiff event for Paris 2024 in Marseille in the summer.

Ireland’s second crew comprises Séafra Guilfoyle and Johnny Durcan but the Cork duo also had a disappointing regatta when they place 31st out 71 boats and missed the Sport Ireland funding criteria of top 30 boats.

However, they remain level on points with Dickson and Waddilove for the selection trials that continue with French Olympic Week in six weeks’ time.

Ireland has already qualified in all three events that Irish Sailing's senior squad trains for, with Eve McMahon and Finn Lynch both confirmed for