Sailing: British pair in control

THE best was saved to last in the Wightlink Lymington Cup here yesterday as the British skippers, Lawrie Smith and Ian Southworth, turned in powerful performances to go back to the clubhouse 1-0 up in the best of three semi-finals.

Smith was up against Peter Holmberg, of the Virgin Islands, who was declared winner of the double round robin for the 10 competitors after a countback tie-break put him ahead of the Netherlands' Roy Heiner. Southworth had been third overall with 11 wins and last night he dealt emphatically with Heiner, one of the Netherlands' Olympic representatives.

Smith had been one of four to end with 10 wins as he upped his game and exited the round-robin with four straight victories. The other three were Gregg Flynn, of New Zealand, Geoff Meek, of South Africa and Spain's America's Cup skipper, Pedro Campos.

Smith was ticked through and once the chink of a chance was there he was a changed man. Despite having to redeem a pre-start rules infringement penalty by passing behind Holmberg, Smith attacked hard up the first beat, was back in control at the top and was never troubled from then on.

WIGHTLINK LYMINGTON CUP Round Robin 2: Flight 6: G Meek (SA) bt P Campos (Sp); I Southworth (GB) bt R Heiner (Neth); L Smith (GB) bt P Thomson (Can); P Holmberg (Virg Is) bt G Flynn (NZ); L Delage (Fr) bye. Flight 7: Smith bt Heiner; Flynn bt Thomson; Delage bt Holmberg; Campos bt Southworth; Meek bye. Flight 8: Delage bt Thomson; Holmberg bt Meek; Heiner bt Campos; Smith bt Flynn; Southworth bye. Flight 9: Southworth bt Holmberg; Smith bt Campos; Flynn bt Delage; Meek bt Thomson; Heiner bye. Overall standings: 1= Holmberg, Heiner 13-5; 3 Southworth 11-7; 4= Smith, Flynn, Meek, Campos 10-8; 8 Delage 6-12; 9 Thomson 5-13; 10 J Bank (Den) 2- 6 ret. Semi-final (best of three): Race 1: Smith bt Holmberg; Southworth bt Heiner.