Sailing: Frostad purrs over big cats

Knut Frostad had two reasons to be happy yesterday. As he lined Innovation Kvaerner up with Swedish Match, Toshiba and Merit Cup for the 2,000-mile struggle for second place on the fifth leg of the Whitbread Round the World Race, the Norwegian skipper was also looking to an even greater adventure in the future, writes Stuart Alexander in Auckland.

Frostad, now striking a more easterly route, has the immediate problem of negotiating the lottery of light and fickle winds on the run up the east coast of South America to Sao Sebastiao. The four yachts disputing second place are in sight of each other and expecting positions to change often.

But he is finding time to discuss plans to build three giant 120ft to 130ft catamarans, in partnership with two other syndicates, for "The Race", the non-stop round the world race scheduled to start on 31 December 2000.

WHITBREAD ROUND THE WORLD RACE (fifth leg, 6,670 miles, Auckland, NZ, to Sao Sebastiao,Bra): 1 EF Language (Swe) P Cayard 1585 miles to finish; 2 Swedish Match (Swe) G Krantz 354 miles behind; 3 Toshiba (US) P Standbridge 357; 4 Merit Cup (Mon) G Dalton 358; 5 Innovation Kvaerner (Nor) K Frostad 359; 6 BrunelSunergy (Neth) R Heiner 602; 7 Chessie Racing (US) D Smith 644; 8 Silk Cut (GB) L Smith 1069; 9 EF Education (Swe) C Guillou 1637.