The early 1990s were a busy time for the family just now setting sail from 14 The Paddocks. They were family-building and home-buying - and there was a little matter of competing in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 to contend with as well.

I take my hat off to a wonderful new generation of brilliant young Irish, who represent us so gallantly at the London Olympics.

PETER O’LEARY and David Burrows have targeted Olympic qualification as their primary goal at the ISAF Sailing World Championships in Western Australia.

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.

A LORCAN DOLAN goal two minutes from time secured a semi-final spot for Moate CS at Stillorgan yesterday.

MORE than 1,000 sailors took to the water at Crosshaven on a mild and sunny autumn weekend, three-quarters of them competing in the opening session of the O’Flynn Exhams Autumn League Series from the RCYC.

CORK WEEK 2010 passed its halfway mark with sunshine and light winds mixed with rain and a slow, rolling seaway off Roche’s Point as the results closed up in most of the 13 classes.

Ireland’s Alistair Cragg had to settle for 12th place in tonight’s thrilling 5,000metres final in Athens.

Royal Cork club mates Mark Mansfield and Killian brought their disappointing Athens campaign to an end today at the Agios Kosmas sailing centre, finishing 15th in the eleventh and final race.

Ireland’s Alistair Cragg will compete in the 5,000metres final in Athens tonight.

Star sailing class duo Mark Mansfield and Killian Collins secured another top-10 finish in Athens today but could not improve their overall position.

Irish sailors Fraser Brown and Tom Fitzpatrick have provisionally finished 16th in 49er class at the Olympic Games in Athens.

Star sailing class duo Mark Mansfield and Killian Collins will be looking to build on yesterday’s top-10 finish when the action gets underway this afternoon.

Ireland's Star class competitors, Mark Mansfield and Killian Collins endured another poor day on the Saronic gulf, as in shifting wind conditions, they pulled their keelboat to 17th and ninth in races 7 and 8, remaining last overall of a fleet of seventeen.

Irish duo Mark Mansfield and Killian Collins will be looking to move up the Star sailing class standings in today’s two races.

Ireland’s sailors made little or no impact around the Saronic Gulf today, as Howth duo Tom Fitzpatrick and Fraser Brown remained 16th overall in the 49er fleet and Sydney veterans Mark Mansfield and Killian Collins tailed off again in the Star, finishing 15th to stay in last place.

The fickle ways of the seasonal Meltemi winds failed to favour Royal Cork duo Mark Mansfield and Killian Collins this afternoon, as a 13th place finish in race 5 saw them down to last overall in the Star fleet.

Sonia O’Sullivan is due to compete in the final of the 5,000m event at the Olympic Games in Athens tonight.

Malahide sailor David Burrows slipped from a starting 14th to 22nd in the 11th and final race of the Finn class in Athens this afternoon, finishing 12th overall, 78 points behind British gold medallist Ben Ainslie.

Team Ireland is in action again later today in Athens.

49er pairing Tom Fitzpatrick and Fraser Brown picked up a second place finish on a day of delays but improved conditions for Ireland’s sailors on the Saronic gulf.

One Irish mother has conquered her greatest fear today so she could see her son battle it out for an Olympic gold medal in Athens.

A contractor working for the CIA has been charged in connection with the beating to death of a prisoner in Afghanistan – the first civilian to face criminal charges related to US treatment of prisoners in Afghanistan and Iraq.

A contractor working for the CIA was indicted today in connection with the beating to death of a prisoner in Afghanistan – the first civilian to face criminal charges related to US treatment of prisoners in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Draft portions of the September 11 commission’s final report offer a stinging rebuke of the FBI and intelligence agencies, but refrain from assigning blame to individuals in government to avoid the appearance of partisanship, several commissioners say.

THE epic of the very bitter and long drawn out battle for the Star Class place to represent Ireland at Athens 2004 finally came to a close yesterday at Gaetq, Italy with the final race of the World Championship.

Brian Hickey might not be the best known face among the Munster squad. But, as Diarmuid O’Flynn discovered, he is one of the most influential and always looks out for the team.

OLYMPIC athletes will receive more than €2m out of a total of €5.3m in funding announced by Sports Minister, John O’Donoghue, yesterday.

THE offshore winds continue to frustrate and confound many of the Irish team at the pre-Olympic Regatta on the Saronic Gulf off Athens yesterday, although operator error continues to play a large part.

President George W Bush said today he had confidence in CIA Director George Tenet despite his agency’s failure to warn Bush against making allegations about Iraq’s nuclear weapons programme which were later found to be false.

CIA Director George Tenet gave Congress and the White House the accountability they demanded, declaring that the blame for President George W Bush’s false allegation about an Iraqi nuclear deal rested squarely with him and his agency.

THE Irish team for next year’s Olympic Games in Athens should include one of the country’s strongest medal prospects after the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) ruled that the selection procedure for sailing’s Star Class shouldn’t be altered.

IRELAND may be without one of their strongest medal contenders for next year’s Olympic Games following a row which engulfs Irish sailing.

YET again violent storms forced the cancellation of all racing in Cork harbour’s and so far three races have been held in the Glaxo SmithKline Beecham Winter Series from the Royal Cork with the final race coming up on Sunday.

OLYMPIC sailor Mark Mansfield burst into the Glaxo SmithKline winter series at the Royal Cork YC and showed a clean stern to the twenty-three boat fleet in the second race of the event.

AN IRISH yacht is set to compete for one of sailing's most prestigious prizes later this month in America.