Great expectations would have hindered Annalise Murphy as the sailor left for Rio, of that she is now certain.

Every four years, the eyes of the world are fixed on the five-ring Olympic circus. In my sport of sailing, the Games can be the culmination of four, eight or even 12 long years of hard competing.

The expectations of Ireland’s sailors have been raised by Annalise Murphy’s fourth-place finish at the 2012 Olympics but the Irish Sailing Association’s performance director has described medal hopes at Rio next month as an outside shot.

Funding of almost €27m was announced by Sport Ireland yesterday, with hockey, modern pentathlon, Community Games, gymnastics, and golf among the big winners.

Ireland’s 2016 Olympic ambitions have received a €2 million cash injection that will allow sports to fund acclimatisation camps, meet competition costs and, in some cases, provide extra equipment for athletes targeting the Games in Brazil.

Irish sailor Annalise Murphy has qualified for the 2016 Olympics after competing in Santander in the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships.

Cork’s Adam D’Arcy has beaten 132 competitors from France, Great Britain, India, Japan, Malta, and South Africa to claim Silver at the International Topper Sailing World Championships in Pwllheli, Wales.

Tomorrow, sailing will become the first Irish sport to contest for a place at the 2016 Paralympic Games.

Ireland’s silver medallist pairing of Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern are still coming to terms with their display the ISAF World Cup in Hyeres, France on Saturday.

Derval O’Rourke and Ciarán Ó Lionáird have expressed disappointment at the level of funding they are set to receive in 2014.

From full sail ahead on the high seas to stylish, limited edition handbags for the high street.

She once cut a magnificent figure, plying the seas under billowing full sail. But the final chapter in almost a century of rich maritime history is finally drawing to a close.

The historic tall ship Astrid is finally set to be cut up and scrapped next week.

The historic tall ship Astrid is to be scrapped, bringing a sad end to the 95-year-old vessel’s rich maritime history.

One of Ireland’s greatest Olympians has said the disabled sailing world championships, which drew to a close in Co Cork yesterday, will leave a lasting legacy that reaches far beyond the sport.

An Irish company has launched a free app to help save lives at sea.

A smartphone app being launched today aims to save lives at sea.

It was his first time at sea but he’d do it all again.

Less than a year after the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Irish Sailing Association yesterday announced a title sponsor for the high-performance squad currently preparing for the next Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro.

The Irish Sailing Association believe a “malicious campaign” against sailor Peter O’Leary cost the country a medal at the Olympic Games.

A code of conduct designed to improve the safety of adventure sports centres is being drawn up after a near- tragedy off the east coast.

Minister of State for Tourism & Sport Michael Ring has today approved grants of €2.4m for 21 national sports bodies.

An hour before Katie Taylor edged closer to an Olympic dream in the Excel Arena, another Irish woman’s medal hopes were blown out over 144 miles away.

Annalise Murphy, the Irish Laser Radial sailor, will need to hold her nerve and sail her best race ever today to win Ireland’s first Olympic sailing medal since 1980, the first ever sailing medal for a female sailor.

The Irish sailor named in the so-called betting scandal did not break any rules at the time, according to the Olympic Council of Ireland.

Annalise Murphy was always encouraged to be independent.

On the waters off Weymouth, Peter O’Leary and David Burrows’ opening day results in the Star fleet suggest they managed to leave controversy ashore, delivering a promising opening which will provide Ireland’s sailors with all the encouragement they need when they start racing today.

Irish paralympic sailor John Twomey has urged people to get out on the water this weekend to experience the thrill of sailing.

Sailing has used the successes of Ireland’s amateur boxers as the template to raise standards within the sport.

World champions, Olympians and the next generation of sailing stars will light up the waters around Kinsale in Co Cork this summer.

James Espey has extended Irish yachting interest in the Olympic Games to a fourth event, after qualifying for London through the Laser World Championships in Germany.

Patrick Crosbie and Grattan Roberts sealed their place in the Irish Sailing Association squad for this Summer’s ISAF Youth World Championships, sponsored by Four Star Pizza, after they placed best of the home fleet in the 420 class national championship at the weekend.

Sophie Browne’s sailing achievements have won her respect and accolades on two sides of the globe.

Female sailors claimed the top prizes at the Irish Sailing Association’s annual awards ceremony in Dun Laoghaire on Saturday night.

FOUR years ago Matt McGovern was left disappointed to miss out on Olympic qualification by one point.

ANNALISE MURPHY yesterday secured Olympic qualification at the ISAF Sailing World Championships.

IRELAND’S elite Olympic sailors are amongst the favourites at the third multi-class ISAF Sailing World Championships which start this weekend at Perth, Australia.

SENIOR Irish sports officials insist preparations for the London Olympics have not been damaged by the economic downturn.

NICHOLAS O’LEARY (Royal Cork Yacht Club) has received the Irish Sailing Association’s prestigious Achievement of the Year Award.

THERE were smiles all-round the Irish camp in Weymouth last night as late results of the women’s Laser Radial single-handed racing arrived ashore: Annalise Murphy won the second race of the day, topping her earlier second place and securing the best result to date at this London 2012 Olympic sailing venue.

The launch of a major emergency plan when a handful of boats capsized during a junior regatta race was over the top, a report claimed today.

A NEWLY-ESTABLISHED dispute resolution service for Irish sport believes controversial cases don’t have to end in the courts, costing prohibitive sums of money.