Sailing: Whitbread Round the World Race - Smith struggles to find form as Krantz pulls from the pack

Paul Cayard hauled EF Language from eighth to sixth place in the Whitbread Race as the fleet ploughed through the Roaring Forties on the second leg from Cape Town to Fremantle.

The leading trio of Swedish Match, Kvaerner and Toshiba have broken from the pack, with Swedish Match enjoying a 225-mile advantage. There is much to play for in the chasing group of five as 15 miles separated eighth- placed Lawrie Smith, in Silk Cut, and fourth placed Hans Bouscholte, in Brunel Sunergy.

Trying both to control the yachts around them and still make headway has seen Smith fall between two stools but Silk Cut reports the boat is performing well, except for a collision, possibly with a whale, which scuffed the the rudder.

"Our position is obviously not to our liking," Smith said, "but I am confident we can make up the miles with some slightly more aggressive tactics."

Grant Dalton, on Merit Cup, said his crew were "very subdued, waiting, waiting...". Dalton will begin rationing since the leg will now take 17 days. "We only carry food for 16."

On Swedish Match the mood was, unsurprisingly, more upbeat. Gunnar Krantz said: "Food is no problem. We have chocolate and lollies coming out of our ears. We are not going to lose weight on this leg."

WHITBREAD ROUND THE WORLD RACE (second leg, 4,600 miles, Cape Town to Fremantle): Latest positions: 1 Swedish Match (Swe) G Krantz 3,736 miles to finish; 2 Innovation Kvaerner (Nor) K Frostad 225 miles behind leader; 3 Toshiba (US) P Standbridge 301; 4 Brunel Sunergy (Neth) H Bouscholte 388; 5 Merit Cup (Monaco) G Dalton 391; 6 EF Language (Swe) 394; 7 Chessie Racing (US) M Fischer 402; 8 Silk Cut (GB) L Smith 403; 9 EF Education (Swe) C Guillou 453.