Yachts heading for Lerwick

THE LEADING competitors in the Shetland Round Britain and Ireland Race 2010 are expected to reach Lerwick early on Wednesday morning.

Supported by a 12 to 14 knots wind the yachts have been making good progress after leaving Castlebay on the isles of Barra, on Monday and Tuesday.

According to the organisers is the Dazcat 10 trimaran Paradox, skippered by

Britons Will Claxton and Matt Gill, was well ahead of the field at around 2pm on Tuesday morning.

Shetland competitor Leslie Irvine and co-co-skipper Andrew Wood have also left Barra and are presently to the west of the Outer Hebrides.

The 56 participants in this gruelling 2,000 mile race have to complete five legs around Britain and Ireland.

Having now completed around half of the race distance, they will stay in Lerwick harbour for a two day compulsory stop-over.

The exact position of all the yachts still in the race can be followed here: http://www.shetlandmarinas.com/tracker