Yacht with former EL crewman finishes leg

CAPE TOWN -- Assa Abloy, with former East Londoner Mike Joubert aboard, docked here on Sunday, the fifth boat to finish the first leg of the round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race.

The craft crossed the finish line at 11.11am on Sunday, 31/2 days behind the leg's winner, Illbruck.

Illbruck reached land at 10.19pm on Wednesday, 16 nautical miles ahead of the second-placde boat, Amer Sports. One News Corp claimed third place on Friday morning and Tyco reached shore at 8.37am on Saturday.

The next boat, SEB, is expected to reach land this afternoon and the remaining two crafts soon after.

The nine-month race began in Southampton, England, on September 23.

The boats leave the city here on November 11 for the next leg to Sydney, Australia.

Other ports are Auckland, New Zealand; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Miami and Baltimore in the United States; La Rochelle, France; and Gothenburg in Sweden, before the race finishes in Kiel, Germany, in June next year. -- Sapa-AP