Sailing: Sunstone's place in the sun

ON A course favouring the smaller boats, the 25-year-old Sunstone took advantage of the new International Measurement System rule in the second race of the Commodores' Cup yesterday, writes Our Correspondent.

Sunstone's controversial selection to the English team, ahead of the 40ft Dubois IMS custom racer, Impulse, competing for Jersey and finishing fourth yesterday, needed no further endorsement than this victory by 4min 22sec.

This first place for England, on a windward-leeward course in Christchurch Bay, was reinforced by an eighth for Outstripper. Another English boat, Sunstripper, though second across the finish, finished 32nd on corrected time, but contributed to the team's third place overall.

Confusion over the IMS rule was heightened further last night when the results for race one in the Solent were reprocessed and the resulting changes gave Sunstone her second first place to lead the series.

ROLEX COMMODORES' CUP Race 2 (Christcurch Bay): 1 Sunstone (Eng) 3hr .02min 26sec; 2 Gaucho (US I) 3:03.39; 3 Collaboration (US I) 3:03.44; 4 Bwana (Arg) 3:04.02; 5 Pro- Motion VIII (Neth II) 3:04.03. Team standings (after two races): 1 United States I 258pts; 2 Argentina 256.5; 3 England 246.74; 4 Netherlands II, 207; 5 Jersey 204.