Sailing: Gandara in the fast lane

THE power of the Roaring Forties was harnessed by the Whitbread Round the World fleet yesterday, with Javier de la Gandara averaging 16.2 knots in the Spanish 60-footer, Galicia. Keep that up for 24 hours and he hits 388.8 miles in a day. Squeeze an extra half knot and he breaks 400.

Now five days out from Uruguay, Galicia is the leading 60, followed by Britain's Lawrie Smith in Intrum Justitia and Brad Butterworth in Winston. However, there had been no afternoon position report from Chris Dickson, who had driven Tokio into the lead in the 60 class yesterday morning.

The two rival maxis, Grant Dalton in New Zealand Endeavour and Pierre Fehlmann in Merit Cup, were still leading overall some 36 miles ahead of Winston, but Butterworth was confident he would overhaul them today.

WHITBREAD ROUND THE WORLD RACE Second leg (Punta del Este, Urug, to Fremantle, Aus): Positions (with miles to the finish): Maxi class: 1 New Zealand Endeavour 6,654; 2 Merit Cup 6,668; 3 La Poste 6,707; 4 Uruguay Natural 6,835. Whitbread 60s: 1 Galicia '93 Pescanova 6,681; 2 Intrum Justitia 6,684; 3 Winston 6,690; 4 Yamaha 6,703; 5 Tokio (six hours earlier) 6,770; 6 Brooksfield 6,718; 7 Dolphin & Youth 6,734; 8 Women's Challenge 6,754; 9 Hetman Sahaidachny 6,771; 10 Odessa 6,886.