A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Inis Mor eases into overall lead as Green Dragon sets the pace
After light winds slowed progress earlier this week for the 35 boats competing, French entry Inis Mor last night held the overall lead of the race on handicap corrected time, writes David Brannigan.
At nightfall, the lead boats had reached the north coast but were being hampered by light winds and the decisive Rathlin Island tidal gate.
The lead boat on the water is former Irish Volvo Ocean Race entry Green Dragon, while the bulk of the smaller entries in the fleet were further down the field off the Mayo coast.
Adrian Lee’s Lee Overlay Partners of the Royal St George YC was duelling with Piet de Vroon’s Dutch entry Tonnerre de Breskens, the 2010 winner, as both boats were lying joint second-place on the water.
The Dun Laoghaire boat is 50 feet in length with a canting keel and is therefore heavily penalised, while the Dutch boat, at 46-feet with a lower handicap, was earlier challenging Bernard Gouy’s handicap lead.
The overall race is decided on handicap time while the bigger boats may on the this occasion have to settle for a line-honours battle.
Lochte consigns Phelps to minor places at US trials
Ryan Lochte outswam Michael Phelps for the second day in a row to set the fastest qualifying time for the 200 metres freestyle at the US Olympic trials yesterday.
Lochte followed up his victory over Phelps in Monday’s 400 individual medley when he easily won his 200 heat in one minute 48.14 seconds, while the Olympic champion was relegated to third in 1:48.31. The top 16 qualified for the semi-finals.
Lochte also qualified second fastest behind Matt Grevers in the 100 backstroke preliminaries, but scratched himself from the semi-finals because of his heavy programme.
“The 100 back hurt worse than the 200 free,” said Lochte, who swam the two heats about an hour apart. “The 200 free just felt really smooth.”
Maguire makes an impressive start
Teenage star Leona Maguire is in pole position at Carnoustie to grab a prominent place in the match-play stages of the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship after the second qualifying round today.
But her 17-year-old twin sister Lisa had a nightmare of a round slumping to one of her worst competitive scores – 83 – and she will need a minor miracle today to survive.
Leona, the Curtis Cup player who has recently won her second Irish title, fired an opening one over par 73, a score bettered by only a handful of players.
Stephanie Meadow, the Royal Portrush golfer who holed the putt that gave Great Britain and Ireland the Curtis Cup at Nairn earlier in the month, shot a disappointing nine over par 81, which included three double bogeys. Castleroy’s Chloe Ryan recorded five double bogeys in an 81.
Leading the way after the first round were Parisienne Celine Boutier and Italian Giulia Molianro, who shot two-under-par 70.
Following today’s second round the leading 64 players go forward to the knock-out phase ending in the final over 18 holes on Saturday.
Queen's University facing tough task
Queen’s University will need to produce the goods if they are to progress on the first day of Henley Royal Regatta. The student coxed four are the first Irish crew in action (9.50), but they face seeded opposition in Imperial College in the Prince Albert. Trinity’s eight in the Temple Cup and Cork Boat Club’s four in the Wyfold have avoided seeded crews.
Ireland’s best hope for a win come Sunday is Sanita Puspure. The single sculler who will represent Ireland at London 2012 is seeded in the Princess Royal. She races first on Friday.
The surge of talent in young women's rowing is reflected in the Ireland junior team chosen for the World Championships. Kate O'Brien is a surprise choice in the women's single scull, having lost out to Bernadette Walsh in the trial for the final place in the women's quadruple. Coach Derek Holland said O'Brien, who has phenomenal scores on the ergometer, is seen as a long-term development opportunity. Single sculler Paul O'Donovan, fourth in the world last year, and the pair of Chris Black and Joel Cassells complete the team. – LIAM GORMAN
