Northern Ireland Sailing Team athletes Ellen Barbour and Erin McIlwaine have made history at the 57th French Olympic Week in Hyères, becoming the first female sailors from Northern Ireland to compete in a medal race at a senior Olympic class event.
Racing in the highly competitive 49erFX fleet at one of the world’s leading Olympic sailing regattas, the pair showed resilience and determination across the week.
Photo credit to @Photosailingenergy @ffvoile
A Strong Fightback
After a shaky start to the series, sitting in the 20s overall in the early stages of the regatta, they fought back race by race to move into 10th overall by the end of the preliminary series, securing a coveted place in the top 10 medal race.
With the pressure on, they delivered when it mattered most.
Two strong final series results, scoring a 5th and a 3rd, saw them climb three more places to finish an outstanding 7th overall.
Across the regatta, Ellen and Erin recorded three top-three race finishes, underlining their pace and consistency against some of the best sailors in the world.
You can view the full event results here
One of Sailing’s Biggest Stages
French Olympic Week is one of the biggest events on the Olympic sailing calendar outside of World Championships and the Olympic Games, attracting elite international competition and providing a major benchmark for athletes on the campaign trail.
This result marks another huge milestone in the duo’s campaign and highlights the strength of talent continuing to emerge from Northern Ireland Sailing Team.
For more on the overall event, read the official round-up here
Watch the Action:
Watch highlights from Hyères Olympic Week here
