Sailing: Shockwave takes up the lead

A BIG win by Neville Crichton's Shockwave in the fifth inshore race of the Two Ton World Cup yesterday catapulted the New Zealander into the lead with just two offshore races to go, writes Stuart Alexander from Cowes.

But his lead, over the Italian Giuseppe DeGennaro's Larouge, is wafer-thin. Crichton has 21.5pts, DeGennaro 21.375 and breathing down their necks is the early leader, Shigeyuki Suzuki's Swing, on 19.625pts.

Today the seven yachts go on a 24-hour race around the Channel, which scores double points. A final 12-hour coastal race is scheduled for Friday.

The 50-foot fleet managed only one race. After winning twice on the first day, Syd Fischer's Ragamuffin was trailing badly in the first race and was relieved when it was abandoned. His luck could not hold in the second when the boat was trapped below the finish line and finally finished fifth.

Britain's Eddie Warden Owen, in Indulgence, sailed well to take third and move up to fifth.