World rankings again prove Irish among the best

The latest International Sailing Federation (ISAF) O'Neill world rankings issued this week show that two of Ireland's leading sailors are holding their top 10 placings with less than 10 months before the Sydney Olympics begin.

Baltimore's Maria Coleman has maintained her eighth place after the latest set of regatta results have been taken into account for the Europe single-hand class.

Finn sailor David Burrows retains his ranking of ninth in a year that has yet to see him finish outside the top 10 in any Grade One event.

For the first time in Irish sailing, Coleman also matches Susan Smith in being ranked in the top four Irish women athletes by t he Sports Council's recognition standards. Only Sonia O'Sullivan and Catherina McKiernan, both carded to World Class One level, are ahead of Coleman and Smith.

The carding scheme's World Class Two, where Coleman has been for a year now, is proving elusive for Burrows however, and the new rankings have not brought him the news that he wanted. Ninth place leaves narrowly outside the criteria for World Class Two that brings £3,000 per annum on top of the existing £15,000 he receives from the government for his current level three status.

The Irish Sailing Association's Paddy Boyd has attributed Irish sailing's positive results directly to the new Carding scheme that has seen every sport receive equal and predictable treatment.

"The two qualified athletes would not have got to where they are now without the Sports Council funding," he said yesterday. The ISA also issue performance related bonuses and travel grants on top of the annuities.

However, while better financing has transformed the potential of the elite sailors, Coleman and Burrows have more pressing matters looming. The Sydney International Regatta begins next week on the same racing ground that will be used for the Olympics proper. With every major contender attending, it will be a useful indicator of progress. Meanwhile, the ISAF listings contain news of the other Irish hopefuls, most of whom will be racing next week. Jon Lasenby in the Laser class has slipped further at the end of a bad year. He has the frustration of knowing that he has already qualified in the class for the Games. However, he has still to achieve the national qualification standard and a slip to 30th, from 29th previously, in the rankings is not helping.

The men's 470 pairing of Tom Fitzpatrick and David McHugh are holding their 44th place with the Sydney regatta likely to be a major point in their campaign. Stuck in the catch 22 dilemma of needing funding to achieve results to get funding, the pair is in the midst of an all-out effort to break into the top 20 results at this regatta.

Not attending this regatta will be the newest but one of the most successful teams hoping to attend the Games. Mark Mansfield and David O'Brien started their Star keelboat project earlier this year and have already achieved the Irish qualifying standard and are now chasing the class nomination result.