Irish sailors rise to challenge at Youth Sailing Worlds

Eve McMahon and Rocco Wright won the women's and men's one person dinghy fleet to underline themselves as ones to watch in an event that boasts a strong track record in producing future stars.

"I came here hoping for a top ten but not really knowing if I was good enough," said Wright, 15.

"To win here at my first world championships is a dream come true."

McMahon just missed the podium 12 months ago in Oman but secured a thumping victory to leave nearest rivals firmly in her wake.

"I'm really proud of what our small team has achieved here," she said.

"Compared with Oman, I think I brought a different mindset this year. There are so many variables in sport so I'm just trying to keep everything consistent and everything in perspective."

Israel's Tamar Steinberg won all ten races to dominate the women's foiling windsurfing while Great Britain's Charlie Dixon won the men's title.

"I didn't know what to expect here," he admitted.

"We had a training camp back in the UK and our initial goal was to sail around the course, get foiling and just sort of see where we came, we'd have been happy with a top ten."

Consistent performances across all 11 fleets secured Spain the Nations Trophy with Maria Perello Mora and Marta Cardona Alcantara winning the women's two-person 420 dinghy, while the USA's Freddie Parkin and Asher Beck took the men's fleet.

Argentina took double gold in the men's and women's 29er skiff, while Switzerland's Axel Grandjean and Noémie Fehlmann won the mixed Nacra 15 class in a hard-fought battle that went to the wire.

Elsewhere, Poland's Julia Damasiewicz and Singapore's Max Maeder won the kiteboarding titles.