Sailing: In a blood-splattered couple of seconds Italy's Prada Challenge lost their second America's Cup race yesterday as Team New Zealand were already looking formidable with a 2-0 lead in the best of nine.

Within minutes of the start, which New Zealand's Black Magic easily won, the Italian Luna Rossa was in a crisis, when bow-man Massimiliano Sirena's face was slashed by a carbon rod been used to remove something fouling the keel.

The Italians were in deep shock as they resumed the race. At the halfway point or third mark Black Magic's lead was one minute 49 and eventually they coasted into an easy two minutes 43 win.

Tennis: The beginning of a new era in Irish tennis is scheduled for March 10th when Tennis Ireland enters into a major sponsorship with Ballygowan for the funding of the first ever All-Ireland Schools' Senior Cup.

The national competition for under-19s in the 800 second-level schools has already attracted 75 entries ahead of Friday's deadline.

The qualifiers will be staged at venues in Limerick, Galway, Cork, Dublin (two venues) and Belfast, building up to the national finals at Riverview on March 24th.

Meanwhile, two of Ireland's top women players are in the "sick bay" only weeks ahead of the Federation Cup. They are 250th world-ranked Yvonne Doyle, who has picked up a nagging ankle injury in training following her sojourn in New Zealand, and Karen Nugent.

Irish number one Scott Barron yesterday moved to the Indonesian satellite circuit for four weeks.

Hockey: The first of five planned matches between Ireland and the US in San Diego had to be abandoned 18 minutes from time because of torrential rain and thunder and lightening.

The USA were leading 2-0 at the time, through first-half goals from Antoinette Lucas and Kelli James. The Irish are due to play the US again this afternoon, in the first of two official internationals but yet more severe weather is forecast.