Sailing: Heiner's hunch hits the spot

THE GAMBLE by Roy Heiner, the skipper of Brunel Sunergy, to sail east around the Falkland Islands looks to have paid off as he attacks second place on the fifth leg of the Whitbread Round the World Race.

Sixth-placed Heiner was making 13 knots yesterday while the four boats chasing runaway leader EF Language were becalmed 50 miles ahead.

WHITBREAD ROUND THE WORLD RACE (fifth leg, 6,670 miles, Auckland, NZ, to Sao Sebastiao, Bra): 1 EF Language (Swe) P Cayard 1,079 miles to finish; 2 Swedish Match (Swe) G Krantz 653 miles behind leader; 3 Merit Cup (Monaco) G Dalton +653; 4 Toshiba (US) P Standbridge + 654; 5 Innovation Kvaerner (Nor) K Frostad +655; 6 Brunel Sunergy (Neth) R Heiner +708; 7 Chessie Racing (US) D Smith +718; 8 Silk Cut (GB) L Smith +1,055; 9 EF Education (Swe) C Guillou +1,834.