SPORTING DIGEST:, SAILING

The route for the seven legs which make up the round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race were put in place yesterday. Southampton loses out to its south coast rival, and original home of the event, Portsmouth, as host of the UK stopover and backdrop to an inshore race in the Solent. That will be at the end of the transatlantic run from New York, but the yachts will then turn back on themselves for a 1,500-mile trek down the Channel, outside Ireland, round the top of Britain and down the North Sea to Rotterdam. The final leg will be 500 miles back north to the finish in Volvo's home town, Gothenberg. The race starts on 12 November from Vigo in Spain, preceded by an inshore race, going on to Cape Town, Melbourne, a pit stop in Wellington, Rio de Janerio, Baltimore/Annapolis, and a pit stop in New York. Six of the new, 70-foot, boats have been entered so far with hopes of a seventh being jointly campaigned out of the United States and Sweden and a last gasp effort to find the remaining funding for a British entry, managed by Lawrie Smith and skippered by Brian Thompson.

The Sydney gold medallist, Iain Percy, begins his attempt at a second world title at the Star World Championships in Buenos Aires today.