SAILING/Commodore Cup: After four days of racing, the standings in the Rolex Commodore's Cup in Cowes remained unchanged early yesterday evening: 1. Ireland Green; 2. Ireland Orange; 3 Ireland White. But now a gulf in the overall points has emerged between the Irish podium leaders and the remaining 10 teams and a change of play has happened.

Protests. By the new time, fired salvo-like from Colm Barrington's Ireland Orange squad, and the target was clear: depose the leaders going into this afternoon's deciding Long Offshore Race that looks increasingly like leading to an Irish victory.

The question becomes, which Irish team? The three Irish teams began yesterday with a whopping 35-point advantage between first placed Ireland Green and fourth placed Britain White.

But now the event appears to have switched to an in-fight between the Irish squads.

Barrington is the veteran when it comes to Cowes and the Commodore's Cup. And while he dearly hopes for an Irish win, there can be no doubt that nothing less than Magic Glove collecting the trophy is his aim.

At the centre of all the rules attention is Eamonn Rohan's Blondie, Ireland Green's small boat that has been the best-scoring boat of the regatta. In the first of a spate of protests late yesterday evening, the Cork boat was ruled against, closing the points gap between Green and Orange to just 1.5 points.

But a further protest from Orange against Blondie was still being heard late last night. Further loss of points could conceivably deliver Barrington's team the overall lead and even bring the third-placed White team into contention for the overall lead.

To some observers, deciding scores in the protest room may appear a bit unsporting and even unpatriotic among fellow Irish teams achieving results unheard of in the sport in this country.

But not to protest clear infringements would leave the Irish open to bar-stool charges of competing as a unified group of nine boats; that would clearly be an undesirable taint should the Commodore's Cup make its first trip across the Irish Sea.

But this may all prove academic. After a short race this morning, the race that is dreaded by every fleet leader or contender starts late this afternoon.

With one third of the event points scored on the outcome of this single race, the potential to wipe the smile from Irish eyes is still all too real.