A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Eight finalists denied sail-off by absent breeze

SAILING: It was like a new form of meditation: resisting sleep as the lulling motion of the windless ocean forced a five-hour delay to the final races of the ISA All-Ireland Sailing Championship yesterday, reports David Branigan.

The eight finalists for the Helmsmans Trophy were eventually denied their sail-off, even for one race as light airs struggled to register and the forecast eight-knot breeze never materialised.

At least not on the senior course off Ringabella Bay outside Cork Harbour. Inside, the 19-strong junior fleet competing for two titles were able to sail three full races as race officer Richard Leonard found a vein of steady wind and promptly grabbed the result. Slack tide also helped.

That contest saw Philip Doran from Courtown Sailing Club take the junior title by a single point from Blessington’s Rory Lynch sailing Laser Radial single-handers. Ninth-placed Sophie Murphy from both Quoile Yacht Club on Strangford Lough and the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire was best of the seven girls and lifted that title for the event.

The senior finalists now face a wait as schedules, boat availability and fixtures are all juggled to stage a decider series for the 2010 title. Five races were originally planned, then revised to three in light of the forecast and then just one race when the conditions actually emerged.

Defending champion Nicholas O’Leary opened his defence with a first and second place in his qualification flight on Saturday morning – before the breeze died almost completely.

The final series will be re-sailed, possibly as soon as this Saturday but only if all competitors are available. Alternatively, a 30-day Notice of Race will be issued with a date most likely towards the end of next month in Crosshaven.

Goal galore and impressive debuts

WOMEN’S HOCKEY: There were plenty of impressive debuts in the Leinster League on Saturday, with Aisling Naughton, Audrey O’Flynn and Julia O’Halloran scoring eight goals between them in wins for Old Alexandra, Hermes and Railway Union, respectively.

Two goals in each half from O’Halloran, who arrived from UCC this summer, helped Railway open the defence of their title in style, Emma Smyth, Kate Dillon, Sinead Dooley and Kate Lloyd completing the scoring in an 8-0 victory over Bray. Loreto and Hermes began their campaigns with 4-0 wins, goals either side of the break from Cathy McKean putting Loreto 2-0 up away to Glenanne before internationals Niamh Small and Nikki Symmons sealed the points.

Old Alexandra also opened their campaign brightly against Corinthian with goals from Naughton and Juliette King-Hall.

Terry Newton found dead

RUGBY LEAGUE: Former British international Terry Newton, the first athlete in any sport to fail a test for Human Growth Hormone (HGH), was found dead yesterday at the age of 31. Newton was banned for two years after testing positive for HGH in an out-of-competition test in November, 2009. He was subsequently sacked by his club Wakefield. The positive test was hailed as a breakthrough in the war against doping by anti-drugs campaigners.

Ireland lose last-ball thriller as Zimbabwe claim opener

CRICKET: Zimbabwe claimed a thrilling two-wicket victory over Ireland in the first of their three One-Day Internationals in Harare yesterday as drama and controversy saw them get home off the last ball of the match, writes Emmet Riordan.

Ireland had bowled and fielded well in trying to defend a small total of 200, with the hosts entering the final over requiring six runs to win.

Zimbabwe had just lost Elton Chigumbura after he made a quick-fire 41 off 32 deliveries. Opening bowler Ed Rainsford came in to join Graeme Cremer as Ireland sniffed an unlikely victory and the pair took three singles off Kevin O’Brien’s first four deliveries to leave Zimbabwe needing three runs off two balls to win.

Rainsford hit the penultimate ball to Gary Wilson at long-off, but the Surrey player, who had earlier had a direct hit run-out, fired the ball back in to wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien, who whipped off the bails with Rainsford looking short of his ground.

Not so said Indian umpire Amiesh Saheba as the teams were tied with one ball remaining. But any chance of a second tied game between the sides after the 2007 World Cup were ended when Rainsford dispatched Kevin O’Brien’s last delivery over the rope for six.

Ireland recovered from 22 for four to make it to 200 thanks to a 115-run fifth-wicket stand between Gary Wilson (69) and Andrew White (42). Rainsford proved the main threat for the hosts, taking four for 23 to earn the man of the match award.

Glenanne take the points in opener

MEN’S HOCKEY: First blood to Glenanne as they took the points at Tallaght in the opening Leinster Senior league match of the season against Pembroke, while Monkstown declared their intentions for the campaign with a similar 2-1 win over Three Rock Rovers in Glenageary.

Shane O’Donoghue and Stephen Brownlow netted for Glenanne, with Brownlow particularly pleased as it was his first league outing and goal for his new club Glenanne, having left Avoca last season. A good finish too for Graham Shaw as he starts out in his new role as player/coach at the club, while South Africa’s Brendon Carolan will have gotten a better idea of what Pembroke are up against in his first Leinster league match as coach.

Monkstown’s Stephen Cole and captain Gareth Watkins combined to give the home side the perfect start to the season. Rovers like Pembroke lost players over the summer and both teams could be vulnerable especially in the first few matches.

McMahon claims Lanaken trophy

EQUESTRIAN: An 18-year wait for an Irish win at the FEI world breeding show jumping championships for young horses at Lanaken came to an end yesterday afternoon when Clem McMahon claimed the six-year-old crown on the stallion NLS Coole Al Clover, writes Margie McLoone.

The chestnut is by the Oldenburg stallion Aldatus Z out of Laural Lodge, by Clover Hill and was bred in Attanagh, Co Laois, by Eamonn Kenny, who was on hand to witness the victory along with his sons Brian, who owns the winner, and Alan. McMahon posted the fastest of 15 doubles clears in a class where 50 horses started in yesterday’s final from an initial line-up of 248.

Earlier, James Hogg took eighth place in the five-year-old championships with the grey Cruising gelding Interpreter, while the day was rounded off with a bronze medal for Ireland in the seven year-old championships through Greg Broderick and Ballypatrick Mystique, a chestnut mare by Heritage Fortunus.