Main Page | Newsletter | Sailing calendar | America's Cup | Glossary

Illbruck faces threat in Volvo

Illbruck leads the fleet by three points

LONDON, England (CNN) -- As the fourth leg of the Volvo Ocean heads out from New Zealand, race leader Illbruck will be under threat from two boats.

Illbruck heads the leaderboard, three points ahead of the Grant Dalton-skippered Amer Sports One.

However, Illbruck skipper John Kostecki ranks fourth-placed Assa Abloy and fifth-placed Tyco as the two greatest challengers as the fleet sails through the tough Southern Ocean to Cape Horn and up the South American coast to Rio de Janiero.

"I believe Assa Abloy has the credentials to be there at the end of the race," Kostecki said in Auckland.

"And Tyco has been a strong competitor but has suffered some bad luck so far."

QUICKVOTE Can Illbruck keep ahead of the fleet in the fourth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race? Yes No View Results

He attributed Amer Sports One's placing to being "extremely lucky".

"[Dalton] has been well behind in all three legs and at some stages lying in sixth or seventh position and then the leaders have been hit by a low wind zone while he manages to catch up."

The fourth leg, covering 6,700 miles, is considered one of the most difficult, with Kostecki describing it as "a tough mental and physical battle."

Dalton told CNN it was "the most extreme leg in terms of its contrast in weather."

"It's a challenge of weather of extremes in conditions from ice to absolute unbelievable heat of the tropics and the opposition around you all of the time."

Dalton's hopes to finish the fourth leg no lower than fourth place.

Dalton is not considered a real threat by Illbruck despite being in second place

"We need to be consistent. We basically want to get to Rio in a position with only four of nine legs finished that we are still on the pace," he said.

"But the fleet calibre is such that it's just not that simple to go out there and win a leg. We just need to be there in the first three or four boats."

A veteran of five round-the-world races, he said this sixth one has been marked by the short build-up.

"The key to all the campaigns I've done in the past is that I've always had a long build-up and am well prepared and this is so much completely the other way around and it's almost a challenge."

He still expected the team to improve throughout the race -- "maybe not this leg, but over the next legs from these guys because they still have huge energy."

Amer Sports One starts this leg with the addition of American Paul Cayard, replacing tactician Dee Smith who has returned to the U.S. for an operation on his right shoulder.

Cayard, as skipper of EF Language, dominated the 1997-98 round-the-world race on his first attempt, winning every leg.

Dalton said the addition of Cayard was a huge advantage.

"Psychologically it's good for us and other teams looking in." The fourth leg is expected to finish in Rio on February 19.