Sporting Digest: Sailing

THE offshore hike by Ross Field in Yamaha has paid off handsomely in the tense struggle for advantage down the coast of Brazil. He swept from eighth to fourth place overall at one point yesterday in the Whitbread Round the World race. Grant Dalton leads the maxis and the fleet in New Zealand Endeavour from Chris Dickson in the 60-foot Tokio, chased just 13 miles astern by Pierre Fehlmann in the maxi Merit Cup.

WHITBREAD ROUND THE WORLD RACE First leg: (Southampton to Punta del Este, Urug) Standings (with nautical miles to finish): 1 New Zealand Endeavour 1,173; 2 Tokio 1,229; 3 Merit Cup 1,245; 4 Yamaha 1,318; 5 Winston 1,319; 6 Galicia 93 Pescanova 1,322; 7 La Poste 1,364; 8 Intrum Justitia 1,373; 9 Brooksfield 1,554; 10 Dolphin and Youth 1,558; 11 US Women's Challenge 1,642; 12 Uruguay Natural 1,736; 13 Sahaidachny 1,766; 14 Odessa 3,819.