IRISH hopes of victory on home waters were dashed over the weekend as Britain’s first teams in the open and youth events of the ISAF World Team Racing Championships at Schull emerged overall winners.

PETER O’LEARY’S hopes reaching the medal race final at Weymouth were ended yesterday when he and David Burrows finished the Star class series in 12th overall after a disappointing day. Annalise Murphy won her penultimate race in the Laser Radial and begins the medal race in third overall this morning.

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.

It was an exciting day in Qingdao where Peter O'Leary and Stephen Milne produced another top ten result in the Star class to place 8th in their first race of the day.

IT IS now up to Cork’s Peter O’Leary and Stephen Milne to rescue Ireland’s chances of a memorable result from this Olympic regatta, but the Star class pair have some work on their hands in a white hot fleet after sailing to two 13th places, their worst scores so far, yesterday.