EF Language, the overall leader in the Whitbread Round the World Race, won the 6,670-nautical-mile Leg 5 last night, arriving in Sao Sebastiao, Brazil, 508 nautical miles ahead of its closest rival in the nine-boat fleet and 23 days after leaving Auckland, New Zealand.
With American Paul Cayard at the helm, the Swedish entry won its third of five legs raced so far, and the victory gave it a commanding lead in the standings.
Maryland entry Chessie Racing was in third position and making a run on second-place boat BrunelSunergy of the Netherlands.
Cayard called his crew's victory on the race's second Southern Ocean leg "redemption."
"We redeemed our pride as good sailors, which we knew we were, but which had been brought into question in the conditions of the Southern Ocean," Cayard wrote yesterday in an e-mail to race headquarters on his approach to Sao Sebastiao.
An Afro-Brazilian percussion band with 80 drummers and hundreds of local residents and tourists greeted the yacht as it sailed into port.
After winning Leg 1, EF Language finished fifth on Leg 2. It was that leg, the first through the Southern Ocean, that humbled Cayard, and he vowed to be ready for Leg 5, considered the toughest of the nine legs.
According to Cayard, EF Language built its lead with a strong, skillful approach to Cape Horn in dangerous conditions and a change in weather systems that left the second- through seventh-place boats with very light winds.
Chessie Racing has rallied from seventh position last week, when it anchored off the southeastern tip of Argentina to pick up supplies to fix its essential freshwater and water-ballast systems.
When it rejoined the race, Chessie was more than 250 nautical miles behind four boats battling for second. Within two days, Chessie was back in contention, having sailed around the eastern edge of a high pressure system that trapped the four boats.
Chessie closed last night to within 17 nautical miles of BrunelSunergy, which also sailed around the four stalled boats to move up from sixth. During the past 48 hours, Chessie had trimmed the Dutch boat's hold on second by more than 38 nautical miles.
Chessie, 526 nautical miles from the finish at 2: 45 a.m. GMT, is expected to finish early Thursday.
Whitbread update
Status: Day 24, Leg 5
Standings:
Boat .. .. .. .. .. .. ... ..Nautical miles to finish
1. EF Language .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..--
2. BrunelSunergy .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...508.7
3. Chessie Racing .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..526.0
4. Swedish Match .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...597.4
5. Merit Cup .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .617.0
6. Toshiba .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...630.9
7. Innovation Kvaerner .. .. .. .. .. .. 688.6 vTC 8. Silk Cut .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...1,461.3
9. EF Education .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..2,205.0
(as of 00: 2: 45 GMT)
Weather: High pressure near 37S/48W pushing off E/NE. The high will keep winds on the light side for chasing boats for next few hours. Fleet speed holding at 5-15 knots.
Note: Information compiled from Whitbread Round the World Race Web site at www.whitbread.org
Pub Date: 2/24/98
