Irish sailors Andrea Brewster and Saskia Tidey have secured qualification for the Rio Olympics.

The pair have earned a place in Brazil because of a lack of entries from African nations in the 49erFX class.

It is the fourth Irish boat to qualify for Rio.

"This is a hugely significant development for Andrea and Saskia who earned qualification by fighting to deliver a strong finish to last year’s world championships. It’s a very emotional day for them and they can now concentrate fully on building toward their Rio goals," said Irish Sailing Association Performance Manager James O'Callaghan.