Sailing: Frostad and Standbridge in sudden power surge

Stuart Alexander
Wednesday 12 November 1997 00:02 GMT
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A 24-hour shake-up saw the middle order turned upside down, the overall leader tearing his hair out near the back, and Sweden's Gunnar Krantz sailing even further ahead on the fourth day of the 4,600-mile second leg of the Whitbread Race from Cape Town to Fremantle.

As in the first leg, the great escape from trouble has again been achieved by Norway's Knut Frostad, who pushed Innovation Kvaerner up from sixth to second place. The British skipper Paul Standbridge was also on the move, as Toshiba climbed from eighth to third.

All three leading boats were in the Roaring Forties, with Krantz ready to make the most of his dive to the south - and the 170-mile plus lead it has given him - by turning east. The Southern Ocean winds were driving him along three knots faster than anyone else.

The middle order of Chessie Racing, Merit Cup, Brunel Sunergy and Silk Cut were all still suffering from calm patches. Meanwhile, Paul Cayard, the winner of the first leg, was lying uncomfortably in eighth place.

WHITBREAD ROUND THE WORLD RACE (second leg, 4,600 miles, Cape Town to Fremantle, Aus): Latest positions: 1 Swedish Match (Swe) G Krantz 4,029 miles to finish; 2 Innovation Kvaerner (Nor) K Frostad 177 miles behind; 3 Toshiba (US) P Standbridge 208; 4 Chessie Racing (US) M Fischer 217; 5 Merit Cup (Monaco) G Dalton 226; 6 Brunel Sunergy (Neth) H Bouscholte 226; 7 Silk Cut (GB) L Smith 232; 8 EF Language (Swe) P Cayard 244; 9 EF Education (Swe) C Guillou 285.

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