There was another first place on the podium for a Hampshire skipper when Jez Fanstone brought "Team News Corp" across the finish line in Baltimore.

The second and fifth legs had been taken by Hamble's Neal McDonald in "Assa Abloy". Both skippers sailed together with Lawrie Smith in the last Whitbread race aboard "Silk Cut" and there was a healthy Hampshire contingent on "Team News Corp" too including Nigel King, Matt Humphries, Stuart Childerley and Gordon Maguire.

There had been an extraordinary start five days and 875 nm earlier in Miami when six of the eight boats were premature starters. Lisa McDonald's team of ladies on "Amer Sports Too" made the perfect start and led the fleet under spinnaker from "Assa Abloy". Needing to return and recross the line "Team News Corp" found themselves trailing the pack.

Things changed when Jez was able to sail a deeper course, being pushed that vital amount north by the Gulf Stream, to take the lead. At the entrance to Chesapeake Bay "Amer Sports One" was fighting hard and came to within three boats lengths but after a perfect spinnaker peel "Team News Corp" was able to increase the distance again to a quarter of a mile.

The victory made a wonderful birthday present for syndicate head Ross Field who didn't sail due to injury. Race leaders "illbruck" had to be content with fourth place but still maintain a 7 point margin over "Assa Abloy".

The race restarts on Sunday with the 3,400 nm leg to La Rochelle. It will be crucial for Neal McDonald and "Assa Abloy" who need to finish three places ahead of "illbruck" to throw the race wide open.