Yachting: Illbruck leads sprint to Baltimore

By JULIE ASH

Illbruck was leading the fleet last night in the sixth leg of the round-the-world race, from Miami to Baltimore.

News Corp, Assa Abloy and Amer Sports One were fighting for second place three nautical miles behind illbruck.

The second half of the fleet was falling further behind the leaders, but was packed just as closely as the leading group.

Tyco and SEB were trailing illbruck by 24 miles, with djuice in seventh place a mile further behind.

At the rear of the fleet was Amer Sports Too, 29 miles from the front. The fleet is expected in Baltimore tomorrow.

The Duesseldorf Yacht Club confirmed yesterday that they were in the process of notifying the Challenger of Record Committee and Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron of illbruck's withdrawal from the America's Cup in Auckland.

Illbruck chairman Michael Illbruck said intensive efforts to find a sponsor had failed.

"While it is disappointing that we cannot keep the team together for the next America's Cup, we hope to find a long-term solution and challenge again some time in the future."

Illbruck would have been the first German entry in the 151-year-old event.

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