Sailing: At the opening race of the Heineken Autumn League at Howth yesterday, the "Barrington effect" was clearly the deciding factor for classes zero and one in the 204-boat fleet, writes David Branigan.
The Dun Laoghaire yachtsman's current boat Gloves Off predictably won class zero. Although the owner wasn't racing yesterday, Peter Wilson ably took the helm with Jamie Boag providing tactical advice.
Oliver Sheehy's Beneteau 40.7 had the best result of her debut season taking second place with Roy Dickson's Cracklin' Rosie finishing third.
Meanwhile, Barrington's boat from last season continues its winning form under the new name of Lethal Weapon and with ace Howth-helm Ian Switzer now in the owner's seat.
The boat continues to be the bane of class one as the Hyland/Mollard entry of Maxim finished in a familiar second overall yesterday. Kieran Jameson's Sigma 38 Changeling finished third under IRC handicap.
Meanwhile, the ISA Junior Helmsman Championships at Swords Sailing and Boating Club Royal Cork Yacht Club once again proved its mettle for the quality of its young sailors.
This year saw the event split into two categories in recognition of both single and double-handed sailing. Marty Maloney, with Adam Maloney crewing, led a string of RCYC finishers with Colm Galvin and Mark Rose in second place followed by Peter O'Donovan and Glenn How in third.
In the single-handed fleet, Optimist-class nominee Peter O'Leary, also from the RCYC dominated completely by winning four out of five races in the final series yesterday. Howth's Daire O'Reilly and Ross McDonald took the runner-up places.
Meanwhile in Kinsale, Mick Cotter's Whisper took the Dragon National Championship a day early when he secured enough points on Saturday.
Men's Hockey: As defiant YMCA refused to yield to Avoca and won their opening Leinster league skirmish, 1-0, at Ballinteer on Saturday, writes Dermot Ashmore.
In one of YM's sporadic attacks, Michael Fry scored the only goal three minutes into the second half, firing a shot past Peter Agnew - who had come out of retirement on his 40th birthday to deputise for the injury-recovering Stephen Kinsella.
Aer Lingus also gained an encouraging home win, 2-1 against Corinthians. They went two up through Adrian Sweeney and John Leavey, and with Eamon Bane to the fore, confined the visitors to a reply from Mark Magnier.
However, the top guns, Pembroke Wanderers and Glenanne, started authoritatively. Pembroke beat Monkstown 4-0 at Serpentine Avenue.
Marcus Hunt made the initial breakthrough and then Giggs and Sheringham - Gordon Elliott and Justin Sherriff - showed their plundering prowess. John Goulding, touching home a free after four minutes, was in lively form for Glenanne, who beat Railway Union 3-1 at St Mark's.
Motorcycling: Australia's Garry McCoy, riding a Yamaha, won yesterday's 500cc race in the Valencia motorcycling Grand Prix meeting. McCoy came home ahead of American Kenny Roberts Jnr, riding a Suziki, and the Yamaha of Italy's Max Biaggi.
But with his second place, Roberts increased his lead in the world standings to 66 points ahead of Valentino Rossi of Italy and now looks set to emulate his father who won world titles in 1978, 1979 and 1980.
