Sailing: French sailors' strong protest: La Poste state case for their defence before going on the attack

THE 11 remaining crew of the French maxi, La Poste, took the opportunity to show their feelings about four of their team still languishing in jail when the fifth leg of the Whitbread Race started in Uruguay on Saturday.

Libertad was written across specially made T-shirts to call on the authorities to release colleagues who have been held for two weeks for alleged assault and deprivation of liberty on a man they caught burgling their house. The burglar was immediately freed on bail.

La Poste was yesterday second equal in the leading bunch with New Zeland Endeavour and behind Tokio as the fleet headed north-east to the Brazilian coast in light winds. The conditions were reported to be pleasant, which is not what those who hope for a fast leg to Fort Lauderdale want.

Neither of the Ukrainian 60s, Hetman Sahaidachny and Odessa, made it to the start line on time, each missing a crew member delayed in Florida, but both started two and a half hours later.

Olivier de Kersauson was expected to finish his round the world record attempt at Brest last night. He was on schedule to beat Bruno Peyron's 1993 time by just over a day, but is more than two days behind the new record of 74 days 22 hours set by Peter Blake and Robin Knox-Johnston in Enza on Friday.

WHITBREAD ROUND THE WORLD RACE Leg 5 (Punta del Este to Fort Lauderdale) Positions, with miles to the finish: Maxi class: 1 New Zealand Endeavour (G Dalton, NZ) 5,228; 2 Merit Cup (P Fehlmann, Swit) 5,228; 3 La Poste (E Tabarly, Fr) 5,228; 4 Uruguay Natural (G Vanzini, Urug), 5,267. Whitbread 60s: 1 Tokio (C Dickson, NZ) 5,226; 2 Yamaha (R Fields, NZ) 5,226; 3 Intrum Justitia (L Smith, Europe) 5,229; 4 Galicia 93 Pescanova (J De La Gandara, Sp) 5,230; 5 Winston (D Conner and B Butterworth; US), 5,231; 6 Heineken (D Riley, US) 5,223; 7 Dolphin & Youth (M Humphries, UK) 5,239; 8 Brooksfield (G Maisto, It) 5,259; 9 Odessa (A Verba, Ukr) 5,287; 10 Hetman Sahaidachny (E Platon, Ukr) 5,297.

Supplied by BT Results Service