The prospect of qualifying for the Sydney Olympics in 2000 has started to place extra significance on regattas. And for several Irish crews the results have been good enough to put them towards the top of the world rankings that were released this week.

Some classes show slight falls but the rankings from the International Sailing Federation have not taken some recent regatta performances into account.

Last week Jon Lasenby achieved one of the best ever Irish results in the Laser class when he finished ninth in the European class championship. He can expect to move up the list next month from his current 21st ranking.

Of the three boats competing for the Finn class, John Driscoll is ranked 21st, David Burrows is 33rd and Colin Chapman is 34th. However, Burrows' ranking will rise when his 11th at the Finn Gold Cup - the highest place ever achieved by an Irishman - is taken into account.

Still awaiting a breakthrough are the three 470 double-handed crews. The class ended its world championship at Mallorca earlier this week without an Irish boat making the Gold fleet finals.

Tom Fitzpatrick and David McHugh ended the qualifier series in 29th place but missed selection for the 45-boat final. They went on to finish eighth in the second series while Gerbil Owens and Graham Elmes finished 35th out of 46 boats in the same division.

In the women's fleet, Laura Dillon and Kareena Knaggs ended 19th in the Group Two series final.

The gale-force winds that were forecast last Sunday forced principal race officers around the coast to squeeze their series in on Saturday.