Neal's position in doubt

The Hamble yachtsman, who was promoted from watch leader to skipper in Cape Town when Roy Heiner was sacked, was appointed for just one leg, fuelling rumours that Paul Cayard who was looking for work after being demoted in his America's Cup OneWorld campaign, would replace him.

But McDonald's success at the start of the 6,500 mile leg to Sydney quelled the rumours as Assa Abloy spent the first three weeks in the top three.

He led the fleet for two days, and his performance suggested the problems of leg one were behind them.

But in the closing stages, he took a gamble that proved to be disastrous, heading to the north of King Island on the entrance to Bass Strait.

He dropped back to sixth leaving himself with too little time to claw back a position.

"In retrospect it was obviously the wrong decision but at the time we wanted to get into the new system quickly and felt that by going north was the best way to do that," said a disappointed McDonald.

"The navigation input comes through Mark Rudiger (navigator), the data is collected by him and basically it is between Mark and I to make a decision based on that."

They finished in sixth place in the VOR fleet, which was reduced by one when Team Tyco suffered damage to her rudder and had to be transported to Sydney by container ship. The position was one lower than in the first leg.

But McDonald mostly enjoyed his new role as skipper.

"There were no problems. I was comfortable with the sailing and the crew and comfortable with all the manoeuvres.

"It is a different way of looking at things, but I am getting to grips with it.

"I've only looked as far as Sydney Heads for the last three weeks.

"Sydney Heads has been my goal, and we will go from there," he said.

An announcement over the skipper for the next leg from Sydney to Hobart, which starts on Boxing Day, is expected over the next few days.