SAILING: Last week's fine showing by Athens 2004 hopefuls at the Kiel Week Olympic classes regatta produced more good news this week.

Not only did Tom Fitzpatrick and Fraser Brown scoop first overall in the 49er Skiff fleet, a first for any Irish boat or class, plus a second overall for Mark Mansfield and Killian Collins in the Star keelboat, but the ISAF World Rankings brought another surprise.

Newcomers to the Star Max Treacy and Anthony Shanks woke up on Tuesday morning to find they had been elevated to seventh overall, a massive jump of 10 places and just reward for months of concentrated effort that hasn't been without setbacks.

The pair have yet to oust Mansfield, Ireland's Star class supremo and triple Olympic veteran, though their presence in the top 10 will be an added bonus in the crucial funding stakes.

Mansfield retains third overall and the climb into those altitudes will be doubly tougher than their jump into the top 20 for the new kids on the Star class block.

However, with two years to go before the next games, the prospect of selection trials in a third class will be a fine prospect that will be an endorsement for the Irish team management's strategy.

Finishing first from a 53-boat fleet in Kiel was a great boost to Fitzpatrick and Brown's Olympic campaign and is also a first for Irish sailing as they're the first winners of a Grade One event.

The pair had only three days to get from Hawaii to Germany to compete in this regatta and had a spare boat waiting at Hamburg airport. "We were lucky that the airline we used decided to lose our sails for only 24 hours and we made the start line on time," reported Fitzpatrick this week.

On the new World Rankings the pair have moved from 24th to 17th. "We are happy with our progress so far and our progression up the international 49er fleet is on target to achieve our goal of success in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

"With only 25 months to go, we plan to ramp up our efforts once more for the next tour, the European Championships in Norway (end of July) and the Pre-Olympics in Athens (August).

In other news, in a summer of success for Maurice "Prof" O'Connell, just today's race stands between joint second place and the British J24 National Championship title. Stuart Jardine leads, but cannot afford another slip following a retiral on Wednesday.