A high-pressure system slowed the progress of Volvo Ocean Race leader ABN AMRO One skippered by New Zeland's Mike Sanderson yesterday.

With fewer than 500 miles to go to the second scoring gate at Eclipse Island on the 6,100-nautical mile leg between Cape Town and Melbourne in Australia, ABN one slowed down to under 10 knots.

The boats in the chasing fleet were averaging between 15 and 20 knots and made big inroads into the lead with fewer than 2,000 miles remaining on the leg.

ABN AMRO Two, skippered by Frenchman Sebastien Josse, was only 57 miles behind the leader with Dutchman Bouwe Bekking's Movistar 92 miles behind in third.

American Paul Cayard's Pirates of the Caribbean was in fourth 204 miles behind while fifth and sixth belonged to ING Real Estate Brunel (Grant Wharington) and Brasil 1 (Torben Grael).

At one stage ABN 1 had stretched its lead to nearly 400 miles.

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