Britain's Ian Williams last in Extreme Sailing Series

(O C GROUP)

Storming into the lead was Pierre Pennec’s Groupe Edmonde de Rothschild after two days of racing at the Extreme Sailing Series in Muscat, but still languishing last of the 11 40-foot catamarans is Britain’s Ian Williams and Team GAC Pindar.

Ten points behind Pennec, former America’s Cup holder Alinghi, skippered by Tanguy Cariou, has pushed up to second with Torvar Mirsky, at the helm of the local team, The Wave, in third.

In a fresh breeze of around 18 knots, Dean Barker improved Team New Zealand to seventh, two places behind his former tactician but now rival on the Swedish team Artemis, Terry Hutchinson.

The fleet moves inshore tomorrow to race over shorter courses.

Flipped in Auckland for the first time was the AC45 wing sail catamaran out trialling by the Oracle racing team. The baby America’s Cup design suffered damage to the wing, but no crew were injured.

Rounding Cape Horn was the American Brad van Liew, leading the Velux 5 Oceans singlehanded round the world race after the second stop in Wellington.

About 10 days behind him are the leaders Jean-Pierre Dick and Loick Peyron having made an unwelcome 48-hour stop in the same port for repairs midway through the Barcelona two-handed round the world race.

In other news, the 2011-2012 America's Cup World Series dates have been released. The first half of the AC World Series will consist of five nine-day regattas in 2011, finishing up with three more regattas by mid-2012.

The host cities for the Series will be revealed in the coming weeks.