The British entrant Silk Cut is now third overall in the Whitbread Round the World Race after finishing the second leg in fourth place.

Lawrie Smith's yacht also came fourth in the first leg, but achieved a record-breaking run of 449.26 miles in 24 hours during a successful second leg.

Smith believes the record, which still has to be ratified, could be broken before the end of the Whitbread, possibly in the Gulf Stream on the way back across the Atlantic.

"These boats are capable of doing 500 miles," he said. "But it is unlikely that you will get fresh steady winds for that period."

Silk Cut was followed into Fremantle port five hours later by Paul Cayard's EF Language, winner of the first leg.