Sailing: Brotherton makes his point

Paul Brotherton had a point to make yesterday. The 470 representative at the Barcelona Games left Hayling Island in a less than tranquil mood on Tuesday, having failed to convince the authorities in the Laser 5000 National Championship that he should be reinstated as winner of the second race that day.

His appeal failed, it being held that he was over the line before the start gun. So Brotherton went out determined to repeat the high-risk strategy of starting on the left of the line, knowing he had to give way to all the starters on the starboard tack, but gambling on a better angle for the first mark.

In the second of yesterday's three races he brought off the move to perfection and, with crew Tim Hancock, led the 52-boat fleet round the top mark. They then fought off a determined challenge from the series leaders, Andy and Ian Budgen, to win a thrilling battle.

They followed convention in the last race and again led at the first mark, but fell behind in a north-westerly wind. It was the Budgen brothers who came through to win their fourth race in nine starts.

France's Dominic Bourgeois was leading the second leg of the Teachers' Round Britain Challenge from Galway as the 10 yachts neared the finish in Oban, with England's Mark Turner second.