SAILING NEWS: TWO RACES of up to 12 miles each beginning this morning will mark the start of the biennial Rolex Commodore's Cup in Cowes where Ireland will have two teams of 36 sailors competing in the largest fleet since the event began in 1992.

Founded from the dying breath of the Admiral's Cup that had become almost a preserve of professional sailing, this event caters for top end amateur talent with strictly limited paid crews.

Ireland Green fields Tim Costello's new Mark Mills-designed 43-footer Tiamat of the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club as the big boat, Eamonn Rohan's Blondie IV from the Royal Cork YC as the middle-boat and Andrew Allen's Belfast Lough crew on No Naked Flames, a Mills 37-footer.

Ireland White is more of a family affair headed by the O'Leary's on Antix Eile led by Anthony O'Leary steering the new Ker designed 39 footer, Conor Phelan's Jump Juice as another Ker at 36.7 feet while Eamon Crosbie joins the two RCYC team-mates with his well-proven Teng Tools, a Ker 32-footer as the team small boat from the National YC.

Having dominated the last two events only to be pipped at the post in the final race, Ireland will be hoping that a change in format that moves the high-scoring overnight race to the middle of the series will remove the "hit and miss" finale to the week-long series.

However, with 15 teams on the starting-line, including four each from France and Britain in this record turn-out, the potential for a hard-fought series remains as higher than ever.