Sailing: Smith aims to reel in Tokio

LAWRIE SMITH, leading the charge round Cape Horn, was last night poised to grab his second win in three legs since joining the 60ft Intrum Justitia after the first leg of the Whitbread Round the World Race.

Once again, the driving determination of Smith and the canny tactical decisions of his navigator, Marcel van Triest, have combined to bring success in this fourth leg from New Zealand to Uruguay, crossing the Southern Ocean around Antarctica.

But before the finish in Punta del Este, perhaps on Thursday, Smith will need to keep up the pressure and enjoy the rub of the green, if he is not only to hold off his pursuer, Chris Dickson, but to take a significant chunk out of Tokio's overall lead of nearly 18 hours.

Intrum's lead on the leg was 52 miles yesterday with Smith reporting 'choppy, wet and bouncy conditions.' Power- reaching in over 30 knots of north-north-westerly he added: 'We have been struggling to push the boat as fast as possible, which seems to have paid off at last. But it is not easy when the boat is jumping around like this. You cannot sleep and walking around on deck is almost impossible.'

Between Smith and Dickson is Grant Dalton in the leading maxi, New Zealand Endeavour, and chasing Dickson is his Kiwi rival Ross Field in Yamaha, who has pushed past Spain's Javier de la Gandera in Galicia. Field has closed the gap on Dickson from 120 miles to four in 48 hours.

After three broken keel bolts, Dolphin's skipper Matt Humphries has been pushing on regardless.

WHITBREAD ROUND THE WORLD RACE (Fourth leg, Auckland to Punta del Este, Urug): Positions (with miles to the finish): Maxi class: 1 New Zealand Endeavour, 1,443; 2 Merit Cup, 1,522; 3 La Poste, 1,586; 4 Uruguay Natural, 2,130. Whitbread 60s: 1 Intrum Justitia, 1,432; 2 Tokio, 1,484; 3 Yamaha, 1,488; 4 Galicia '93 Pescanova, 1,492; 5 Winston, 1,630; 6 Brooksfield, 1,649; 7 Dolphin & Youth, 1,745; 8 Heineken, 1,883; 9 Hetman Sahaidachny, 1,994; 10 Odessa, 2,269.