LG Flatron wins Global Challenge second leg

LG Flatron held onto their lead

LG Flatron has captured the second stage of the BT Global Challenge, completing the latest leg of the round-the-world sailing contest half a day ahead of its rivals.

The yacht crossed the finish line at 1413 GMT having led the way nearly the entire leg, though unfavourable winds cut its lead towards the end of the 5,840-mile second leg from Boston to Buenos Aires.

Spirit of Hong Kong look set to come in second

Trailing in second place was Spirit of Hong Kong, poised to arrive in Buenos Aires before dawn on Saturday.

Spirit of Hong Kong has slowly eaten into LG Flatron's lead over the last several days.

In third place was Logica, followed by Compaq, Olympic Group and BP.

The 30,000-mile Global Challenge is billed as the world's toughest yacht race.

The competition is divided into seven legs.

The first segment began on 10 September as the yachts raced from Southampton, to Boston, Massachusetts, before undertaking the daunting second leg ride right through stormy Caribbean waters and down the shoulder of Brazil to Argentina's capital.

Battling currents

The back-of-the-pack yachts were battling fickle winds en route to a final tack up the River Plate, the broad, muddy river separating Argentina from Uruguay.

Scheduled to end in June 2001, the competition pits 12 teams of amateur sailors and professional skippers against some of the world's most treacherous winds and sea currents in a bid to navigate the globe the wrong way.

Winds and currents generally make it easier to circumnavigate the globe from west to east, but this race aims to do the opposite.

From Buenos Aires, the boats will set out for Wellington, New Zealand, a 6,020-mile journey.

From there the fleet will cross to Sydney, Australia, and then to Cape Town, South Africa.

On 13 May, the yachts will travel north to La Rochelle, France, and wrap up with a final 400-mile run through choppy waters back to Southampton.