Briefly / Sailing: Smith comes under pressure

Lawrie Smith's chances of an overall win in the Whitbread Round- the-World Race hung in the balance last night as the leaders battled the last few miles to the finish of the fifth leg in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, writes Stuart Alexander. Having cut Ross Field's lead in Yamaha from 200 miles to 112, Smith took a gamble by pointing Intrum Justitia further west in search of new breeze but that cost him 10 miles and, with only a three-and-a-half hour advantage over Field, Smith is desperate to give Yamaha as little cushion as possible when starting the final leg to Southampton next month.