Sailing: Barth chooses Field as skipper

Ross Field, the winner of the Whitbread 60 division in the 1993-4 round the world race, will be named as skipper of Neil Barth's America's Challenge this week. The boat was due to arrive in the Solent last night, having sailed from its new home base of Fort Lauderdale.

That will complete the total of 10 yachts in Britain for scrutineering and measurement ahead of assembly week, which begins in Southampton on 14 September, and the start of the Whitbread Race on 21 September.

Field had been skipper of an Ericsson 80 for Banque Internationale Luxembourg, and was the overall winner of this year's Fastnet Race. The bank is expected to announce the completion of the remaining three boats at La Ciotat, France, in time for a Mediterranean circuit by all eight next summer. But plans for a rival round the world race have been shelved.

In Tel Aviv, John Merricks and Ian Walker could manage only 12th place in the World 470 Championships. Nick Rogers and Steve Irish were 19th as Leskinen and Henilia, of Finland, took the gold. In the women's division, won convincingly by Taran and Paholchyk, of the Ukraine, Helena Lucas and Maggie Beech were the top Britons, in 11th place.