IRELAND'S leading professional sailor, Gordon Maguire was showing off his latest yacht to the Irish media in Liverpool this week. The Howth sailor is second-in-command to the legendary British yachtsman, Lawrie Smith, on Silk Cut, the Whitbread 60-foot entry for this year's 31,000 mile round-the- world race.

This weekend, the crew of 12 will be sailing their mandatory 2,500-mile qualification passage on their new boat which arrived from the builders' yard in Sydney at the end of May. The last month has been spent rigging the 64-foot boat and completing preliminary sea trials. 0n their second outing, speeds of over 20 knots were reached in less than 30 knots of wind - gales or worse are hoped for in the next two weeks.

"I see this opportunity as Lawrie Smith's right-hand man on Silk Cut as my opportunity to achieve my goal," Maguire told The Irish Times this week.

"It's great to be in early on this project and making key decisions on design, crew, sails and so on. I'm racing this Whitbread to win it for me and I'll continue to race around the world until I do. As far as I am concerned, it's unfinished business."

Maguire sailed with Denis Conner and Brad Butterworth on Winston in the last race four years ago. Some will remember Maguire for leaving the NCB Ireland project for Smith's Rothmans entry after the first leg in the 1989/90 race.

"NCB Ireland was eight years ago - I don't believe that winning the Whitbread would vindicate any perceived wrong-doing by me in the eyes of those who thought ill of me for leaving the boat (NCB Ireland)."

For the Whitbread race, the main rivals for Smith and his crew are expected to be Chris Dickson and Conner on Toshiba.

A strong fleet is expected on Dublin Bay tomorrow for the annual Carlsberg Royal St George Yacht Club Regatta. In the wake of last week's national championship at Kinsale, the 1720 category should be particularly close.