Sailing: After six days at sea, the first boats of the Round Ireland Race are expected to cross the finishing line at Wicklow from late this afternoon onwards, writes David Branigan. Locked in combat yesterday for line honours was the British Swan 60-footer Fenix and Michael O'Brien's specially chartered Whitbread 60-footer Tokio.
For the fourth time in as many days, the breeze died and then filled in again from behind, lifting the smaller entries up the fleet and, in many cases, past their bigger hi-tech rivals. Only Wavesweeper, a Swan 46, was defying the conditions and was among the leaders on corrected time handicap.
Holding a narrow though sustainable lead, George Radley and his crew on Imp had managed to retain first overall, though pressure from co-skippers Lorna Graham and Joanna Burchell on the HOD 35-footer Psipsina were keeping the Kinsale team wary.
Rowing: Garda got off to a sweet start at Henley Royal Regatta yesterday with a facile win over Marlow Rowing Club in the first round of the Thames Challenge Cup. The final verdict was three lengths, but the Irish crew were never really tested and rated as low as 28 at one stage.
"It was nice to get a start like that, to get it over with," said team manager Willie Ryan. Today, Garda will meet Furnivall. The other Irish crew out yesterday, Methodist College, made an early exit to Shiplake in the Princess Elizabeth Cup.
TV Sport: Manchester United's first game of their title defence will kick off Sky's live coverage of the Premiership next season.
United's meeting with Newcastle at Old Trafford has been put back 24 hours to August 20th, with Arsenal versus Liverpool providing the first televised Monday night match from the top flight on the following evening. The Highbury showdown has been brought forward one day to Monday, August 21st.
The following weekend, Chelsea's visit to Aston Villa has been moved from the Saturday to Sunday, August 27th, and Chelsea's home game with Arsenal on Wednesday, September 6th will also be screened.
First Division champions Charlton make their bow in front of the cameras at Derby on Sunday, September 10th.
Crossword: The winners of the Bumper Munster crossword published in the special supplement on May 27th, to celebrate Munster's appearance in the European Cup final are: Gerry Finucane, 65 Dunluce Road, Clontarf, Dublin; Barbara E Ryan, 75 Springfield, Clonroadmore, Ennis, Co Clare; and Ruth Ryan, 20 St Michael's Villas, Ennis. A £50 book token is on the way to each of them.
