Sailing: Merit Cup endeavours to secure lead

The Swiss maxi yacht, Merit Cup, shadowed the race leader NZ Endeavour as the Whitbread Round the World race fleet headed for the equator and the South Atlantic. Endeavour, also a maxi, skippered by Grant Dalton, regained its race-long lead overnight after a brief spell behind Merit Cup but when the fleet reported positions late yesterday the Swiss yacht was just seven miles astern. The Japanese yacht, Tokio, piloted by New Zealand yachtsman Chris Dickson, held on to third overall.