Sailing: Ecover maintains slim lead

Under attack on both flanks, Britain's Mike Golding and Brian Thompson, giving their 60-foot Ecover the most severe test in its debut race, were still holding on to a slender lead in the two-handed Transat Jacques Vabre last night.

On their left, having headed south closer to the coast of north-west Spain, the French pair of Jean-Pierre Dick and Nicolas Abiven, in Virbac, were neck and neck with Golding and Thompson. On their right, in Sill, which won the race in 2001, were Alex Thomson and Roland Jourdain, who were within 30 miles.

Trying to stay in touch, but more than 80 miles behind in seventh, Nick Moloney and Samantha Davies in Team Cowes, the former Kingfisher, were expecting another big blow overnight as their Offshore Challenges team-mate Ellen MacArthur prepared in Le Havre, with Alain Gautier, to set off today for Salvador da Bahia in the 60-foot trimaran class, whose start has been delayed since Sunday.

In the Open 50 class Conrad Humphreys and Paul Larsen, in Hellomoto, were eating steadily into the lead of Regis Guillemot and Olivier Salnelle, in Storagetek.