Yachting: Nailbiter as pair race for line

By JULIE ASH

Illbruck has edged ahead of Grant Dalton's Amer Sports One in the race to the finish in the first leg of the round the world race.

Last night, with only 200 nautical miles to go, illbruck, which was to the south of Amer Sport One, had a slim lead of five miles.

Both yachts were reaching at a steady 15 knots in a 20-knot southerly breeze. At their current speed, the two are expected in Cape Town this morning.

Amer Sports One had held the lead for eight days, since just past the final waypoint of Ilha Trindade, off Brazil. In the race to the finish, the main difference between the two leading boats is their state of health.

Reports of damage to sails and rigging have streamed into the media from Amer Sports One. But there has been virtual silence on the subject from John Kostecki's well-oiled, pre-race favourite illbruck.

The reports are received by the crews on all the boats, and some of the information may have been hyped up by Dalton, the grand master of psychological warfare.

"The boat itself is fine," Dalton said. "We could roll past Cape Town and keep going.

"It's all about the mast, and the locks for the halyards.

"Replacements have been redesigned, and they are currently winging their way towards South Africa."

Dalton has other matters on his mind. His wife Nicky has given birth several weeks early. While there were no difficulties with the new arrival, Dalton is flying home for a short visit, and is due to arrive in Auckland late on Saturday night.

News Corp are in third place, 285 miles behind the leader, and are expected to arrive one day later. Tyco trail News Corp by a similar margin, with ASSA ABLOY fifth. The tailenders, SEB, djuice and Amer Sports Too, face a 1600-mile beat around the north side of the South Atlantic high pressure system, and their estimated arrival time is now Monday or Tuesday next week.

That leaves their shore teams with less than two weeks to prepare for the November 11 departure on leg two.