Taylor forges ahead of fleet

Press, 20 December 1985, Page 32

Taylor forges ahead of fleet

PA Wellington N.Z.I. Enterprise has covered a stunning 998.5 miles over the last three days as it forges ahead of the fleet on the CapetownAuckland leg of the Whitbread round-the-world yacht race.

Enterprise’s skipper Digby Taylor relayed his dramatic progress by radio telephone early yesterday, confirming he had sailed 340.1 miles on his best 24hour run.

Taylor said Enterprise was continuing to enjoy good sailing conditions with its spinnaker up. “We are sailing at 18-20 knots in a moderate wind from the west,” he said. Enterprise’s progress was in marked contrast to that of Lion New Zealand which is the southernmost of the leading yachts. Its skipper, Peter Blake, reported light winds from the north and race headquarters said yesterday Lion had slipped from fourth to fifth on the water.

Taylor said he believed Enterprise had put time on all the other yachts in the 15-boat fleet over the last three days, but did not yet consider himself a certainty

to be first into Auckland. “While we are going very well, we will need continued good luck when we get into the Tasman,” he said. At latest report, Enterprise was 55 miles ahead of Atlantic Privateer, the South African entry flying an American flag and 3527 miles from Auckland. ÜBS Switzerland, which led the fleet into Capetown, is third on the water, 114 miles behind Enterprise. The latest positions reported by race headquarters yesterday were.— N.Z.I. Enterprise:, Line 1, Handicap 2, Miles to Auckland 3527, Lat/Long 54.02 S 97.31 E; Atlantic Privateer: 2,4, 3582, 53.04 S 95.60 E; Drum England: 3,8, 3693, 52.38 S 92.59 E; ÜBS Switzerland: 4,6, 3696, 50.20 S 93.38 E; Lion N.Z.: 5,7, 3713, 54.48 S 92.13 E; Philips Innovator: 6,1, 3925, 52.48 S 86.29 E; Fazer Finland: 7,5, 3986, 50.46 S 85.34 E; L’Esprite d’Equipe: 8,3, 4075, 51.13 S 82.55 E; Cote D’Or: 9, 12, 4154, 44.27 S 85.08 E; Rucanor Tristar: 10, 10, 4212, 50.24 S 79.31 E; Equity and Law: 11, 9, 4240, 50.15 S 78.49 E; Norsk Data G. 8.: 12, 13, 4269, 51.03 S 77.36 E; Fortuna Lights: 13, 11, 4323, 48.30 S 77.36 E; Shadow of Switzerland: 14, 14, 4798, 50.03 S 63.54 E; SAS BAIA Viking: 15, 15, 4905, 47.38 S 62.07 E.