That means Smith gains a net four points and reduces Charles’ lead from 13 place points to nine

That means Smith gains a net four points and reduces Charles’ lead from 13 place points to nine.With a possible three races to go, Smith needs to post a score, on average, five points better than Charles in each race to secure the place in Savannah.Three firsts from three starts made Brazil’s Claudio Cardoso master of the testing conditions off Dubai yesterday and set him up as favourite to take the gold medal in the Hobie Cat 16 World Championships. That means, in turn, they will now have to count the least damaging of the worst two scores they had previously discarded when eight races, two in this regatta and six in January, had been completed.So while Charles had apparently increased his lead by one place, in fact he will now have to count a previous 23rd place, Smith a previous 18th. Sailing

STUART ALEXANDER
The fight between Lawrie Smith and Glyn Charles for the Star class place in Britain’s Olympic team turned into a matter of mathematics after the third race of the Bacardi Cup in Miami yesterday.Charles was 54th and Smith 55th as the previously strong winds turned light, but both will discard those scores as their worst result. The only Britons left in the competition, Matthew Eeles and Philip Hilyard, are lying 33rd.”Maybe this is my year,” Cardoso said.

“If the wind stays strong I feel I have a good chance.”HOBIE CAT 16 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (Dubai) Final standings after 13 races (out of 16): 1 C Cardoso and F Monterio (Bra) 36.75pts; 2 W and L Edwards (SA) 43; 3 M Laruffa, L Wardley (PNG) 48 GB: 33 M Eeles, P Hilyard 142.. With the fleet cut down from 300 to a final 56, there should be just three races today to give Cardoso a prize that has always eluded him.The 30-year old from Recife with his crew of seven years, Frederico Monterio, took the silver in ‘93 in Guadeloupe and again last year in Mexico, losing only on the final leg of the final race to the defending champion, Aaron Worrall of Australia.The main threats to Cardoso come from William and Lucinda Edwards of South Africa and Mark Laruffa of Papua New Guinea, crewed by Liz Wardley. That put Charles 36 place points clear of Smith and in sight of the opening ceremony in Atlanta with only the last race of the series to sail today.Charles is lying seventh overall in a strong fleet led by San Diegans Vince Brun, a top crewman for Dennis Conner, and America’s Cup skipper Paul Cayard.Three firsts from three starts made Brazil’s Claudio Cardoso master of the testing conditions off Dubai yesterday and set him up as favourite to take the gold medal in the Hobie Cat 16 World Championships. Sailing

STUART ALEXANDER
Lawrie Smith, a bronze medallist in Barcelona four years ago, saw the battle to represent Britain in the two-man Star class at this year’s Olympics swing decisively in favour of his rival, Glyn Charles, yesterday.The Welshman posted a sixth and a 12th in races four and five of the Bacardi Cup in Miami while Smith could manage only a 25th and a 28th. A knee injury has also robbed Aberdeen of their captain, Stewart McKimmie, for tomorrow’s Scottish Cup quarter-final with Airdrie at Pittodrie.Roy Hodgson, the English coach of Internazionale, has been banned from the touchline for Sunday’s Milan derby after insulting a referee during last weekend’s match against Lazio He was also fined pounds 1,200.. Sheffield Wednesday’s full-back Ian Nolan could be out for the rest of the season after injuring knee ligaments in the 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa.

The 26-year-old, who has scored 21 goals for the Alex this season, is only on a week-to-week contract, having turned down a longer deal.The Manchester United defender Gary Pallister has been ruled out of action for a fortnight with the recurrence of a back injury. The expectations are high and the potential is enormous.”
Oldham have signed Sheffield United’s midfield player John Gannon on a free transfer, while Sunderland are willing to listen to offers for striker Brett Angell, who cost pounds 600,000 from Everton last season.Huddersfield are poised to complete the pounds 150,000 signing of the Crewe striker Rob Edwards. The 35-year-old former Everton striker succeeds Jimmy Mullen, who resigned last month after crowd demonstrations and a hate campaign. Heath, who had been assistant manager under Howard Kendall at Sheffield United, said: “I have never known a town to have so much affection for its club. The only Britons left in the competition, Matthew Eeles and Philip Hilyard, are lying 33rd.HOBIE CAT 16 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (Dubai) Final standings after 13 races (out of 16): 1 C Cardoso and F Monterio (Bra) 36.75pts; 2 W and L Edwards (SA) 43; 3 M Laruffa, L Wardley (PNG) 48 GB: 33 M Eeles, P Hilyard 142.. Adrian Heath became the manager of Burnley yesterday – three months after leaving Turf Moor, writes Guy Hodgson. With the fleet cut down from 300 to a final 56, there should be just three races today to give Cardoso a prize that has been so close to his grasp but has always eluded him.The main threats to Cardoso come from William and Lucinda Edwards, of South Africa, and Mark Laruffa of Papua New Guinea, crewed by Liz Wardley.

That means, in turn, they will now have to count the less damaging of the two scores they had previously discarded when eight races, two in this regatta and six in January, had been completed.So while Charles had apparently increased his lead by one place, in fact he will now have to count a previous 23rd place, Smith a previous 18th. That means Smith gains a net four points and reduces Charles’ lead from 13 place points to nine.With a possible three races to go, Smith needs to post a score, on average, five points better than Charles in each race to secure the place in Savannah.Three firsts from three starts made Brazil’s Claudio Cardoso master of the testing conditions off Dubai yesterday and set him up as favourite to take the gold medal in the Hobie Cat 16 World Championships. Sailing

STUART ALEXANDER
The fight between Lawrie Smith and Glyn Charles for the Star class place in Britain’s Olympic team turned into a matter of mathematics after the third race of the Bacardi Cup in Miami yesterday.Charles was 54th and Smith 55th as the previously strong winds turned light, but both will discard those scores as their worst result. “As it is, I don’t believe it is a risk, or I wouldn’t have put him in.”Hunte, the leading try-scorer at Saints for five of his six seasons there, said: “It’s a big match to come back in, but I’m confident about the knee.” He replaces Joey Hayes, who failed a fitness test on a hamstring injury yesterday morning.Widnes have also gambled on proven class and experience, naming both the Hulme bothers in their line-up.Paul Hulme, who has not played since bruising his ribs six weeks ago, has been included in the second row, while David Hulme, out for even longer with a head injury, is one of the two substitutes.The Widnes coach, Doug Laughton, says that both the Hunt brothers feel fit enough to play in the semi-final at Wigan’s Central Park, where their experience of big matches will be of immeasurable value.. Hunte has had a complete knee reconstruction and has played just one A team game since winning his long battle for fitness.
“If Alan was a forward, it would be a risk,” Saints’ coach, Shaun McRae, said. Alan Hunte, the Great Britain winger, will play his first match since last May when he appears in St Helens’ Silk Cut Challenge Cup semi- final against Widnes tomorrow, writes Dave Hadfield. In 100 years, the English has succeeded in expanding the game no further than its origins in Yorkshire and Lancashire.”Judge Burchett’s rulings on submissions by both sides are expected today..