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Sailing: Cape capers carry few hazards

Stuart Alexander
Tuesday 01 December 1992 00:02 GMT
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THE spirit of anticlimax continued to surround the British Steel Challenge as the second of the 10 67ft yachts to round Cape Horn, Commercial Union, made its sedate way in calm seas and gentle breezes. They are 200 miles behind the fleet leader, Nuclear Electric, whose skipper, John Chittenden, reported that the elation and joy of being first round was tinged with the irony of the wind dying and being parked for three hours off the Horn drinking cups of tea.

Coopers and Lybrand makes up the leading trio and there is then another group of four in which Hofbrau leads from British Steel II, Heath Insured and Pride of Teesside. At Port Stanley, in the Falkland Islands, Rhone-Poulen is having its mast rigging checked after being hit by fierce winds the previous day. The skipper, Peter Phillips, has reported that there were no injuries to crew members.

In the Vendee Globe Challenge non-stop round the world race, Bertrand de Broc, in Groupe LG, has a 50-mile cushion over his nearest rival, Alain Gautier in Bagages Superior, as they head south towards the Canaries.

The Welshman, Alan Thomas, in Cardiff Discovery, is in third place almost a hundred miles behind Gautier but leading the chasing group by the same margin.

Twenty-four hours into the Route of Discovery race from Cadiz to Miami, Jan Santana leads in PubliEspana from Miguel Piqueras in Fortuna. Antonio Elias is third in Ole from Pierre Fehlmann in Merit Cup, while Brooksfield, skippered by Guido Maisto, was in sixth position.

BRITISH STEEL ROUND-THE-WORLD CHALLENGE Second leg: Rio de Janeiro to Hobart (Positions with miles to Hobart): 1 Nuclear Electric 5,284; 2 Commercial Union 5,397; 3 Coopers and Lybrand 5,493; 4 Hofbrau 5,533; 5 British Steel II 5,559; 6 Heath Insured 5,575; 7 Pride of Teesside 5,583; 8 Group 4 5,636; 9 Interspray 5,828. Rhone-Poulen is in the Falklands. (Information supplied by BT).

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