Yachting: ABN Amro One wins fifth leg

Mike Sanderson, skipper of ABN Amro One, and his crew celebrate their win on the fifth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race in Baltimore. Picture / Reuters

BALTIMORE, Maryland - ABN Amro One continued its dominance of the Volvo Ocean Race today by winning the fifth leg from Rio de Janeiro to Baltimore.

With New Zealand skipper Mike Sanderson at the helm, the Dutch entry crossed the finish line off Baltimore Light to complete the 9260km journey from Brazil.

ABN Amro posted a time of 15 days, 2 hours, 47 minutes, 52 seconds and finished 26km ahead of second-place Movistar.

Pirates of the Caribbean was the only other Volvo 70 in the bay by the time the lead boat finished.

Pirates, an American entry sponsored by Walt Disney Company and skippered by Paul Cayard, was 8km past the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and sailing in 20-knot winds with 1.2m seas at mid-afternoon.

ABN Amro has won four of the five legs. Sanderson and his team from the Netherlands hold a commanding 22-point lead in the 57,875km race which has nine legs and visits 10 countries.