Solent sailor Stuart Childerley was well ahead on points after the third race of five in the Etchells World Championships taking place in Auckland.

With a long start-line, picking the correct end was critical. Stuart wisely chose the left and more pressure, but those who chose right were hammered, including America's Cup skipper Dennis Conner, who finished 40th.

Stuart, sailing with Simon Russell and Roger Marino, now holds a ten-point lead over his nearest rivals from Australia.

Elsewhere in Auckland GBR Challenge completed the second round robin in the Louis Vuitton Challenger Series for the America's Cup and now lie in sixth place as they go into the quarter-finals on November 12th.

The first opponent will be the American boat Stars and Stripes which GBR Challenge lost to in the first round but beat in the second. They now have the best of seven races and skipper Ian Walker commented: "We have great respect for Stars and Stripes but we have beaten them once already, so we know we can do it. To eliminate them would be a great achievement but only our best performance from the team will suffice. This has the potential to be a seven match thriller!"