GALWAY sailor Eamon Conneely and his team on board Ireland’s first grand prix yacht, Patches, (sponsored by Oysterhomes) last night won the Rolex TP52 Global Championships in Miami Florida.

IRISH yachts hold places in the top two in all three of the premier classes at Skandia Cowes Week after the first four days.

WHILE the TP52 Patches owned by Galway’s Eamon Conneely and steered by Shirley Robertson has eased into a five points lead in IRC Class Zero at the Sovereign’s Cup and the Irish Cruisers Championships off Kinsale, the Cork-Dublin Bay battle in Class 1 looks set to go to the wire.

Paul Nicholls may never get the chance to train a triple Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, but he can at least lay claim to being fully familiar with the family after scoring for the second time in a week with a full-brother to Best Mate at Wincanton today.