Sailing News round-up: The publication of October's International Sailing Federation (ISAF) ranking list that confirmed Max Treacy and Anthony Shanks in 13th place is significant because it earns the Dublin Star keelboat campaigners the right to an Olympic trial.
The world ranking also provides team management with evidence of the progress these newcomers have made against the odds in the heavyweight division of Olympic sailing. The Royal St George pair must now attempt to dislodge a veteran of three Olympics in a class that Mark Mansfield has virtually made his own.
Mansfield previously finished third, eighth, 10th and last month fifth overall in the Bay of Cadiz world championships where he also qualified the country for Athens. But despite this impressive run and the fact the Cork helm, crewed by Killian Collins, has beaten Treacy and Shanks at all 13 international grade-one regattas so far he is, nevertheless, faced with the prospect of trials against the pair next season.
It is the first trial the world number four will confront since Bill O'Hara and Owen Dennis fought him unsuccessfully for selection for Atlanta '96.
The 2004 trials also look certain to proceed in spite of the fact Mansfield was due to take a case against the Irish Sailing Association (ISA) to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) later this month over the way in which the selection procedures had been handled.
But it would appear because of current standings - under any interpretation - there is no case to be heard and the only task facing the ISA is to frame trial dates and agree a format for Star class selection.
In the Southern Hemisphere, although there are 1,200 miles to go, Ireland's Cian McCarthy has been moving up the 70-boat Mini-Transat fleet after 12 days of racing from the Canaries to lie sixth overall last night.
McCarthy, of Royal Cork, in his yacht the Tom Crean, like leader American Jonathan McKee, has escaped the doldrums and is sailing in force-five trade winds winds towards the Brazilian finish with some 20 days to go.
At home, Sunday's penultimate race of the 180-boat Olympus Autumn League is reaching a fitting climax especially in Class Zero IRC-handicap where Dún Laoghaire's Voodoo Chile (Eamon Crosbie), Gloves off (Colm Barrington) and Howth's Cracklin' Rosie (Roy Dickson) have built up a reasonable comfort zone from the rest of the 16-boat fleet, the biggest entry since the mid-90s.
Voodoo has more of a discard advantage, however, as she is discarding a second whereas Gloves off and Cracklin' Rosie must discard a sixth.
Michael Flemings, Trinculo leads the Class Zero fleet on ECHO handicap. In Class One IRC the top three boats are all X-yachts designs. The Murphy brother's vintage X-372 Midnight Express lies one point ahead of Charlie Boyle's X-332 type, On the Rox. Jim Hyland's Maxim is third. Maxim leads in ECHO.
In Class Two Paddy Gregory's Elan 31 Benola has a one point lead over the Cruisers Two national champion Anthony Gore Grimes sailing Dux, another X-yachts design. She is followed by Conor Nolan in Aloha who leads on ECHO.
In the 26 entries in the one design Puppeteer class David Clarke of the host club leads with three wins over Rob Standley's Mojo with Andy Sargent third.
