Robertson raises British spirits

Sailing

A second, a third, and a first by Shirley Robertson, sporting a new mast in her Europe singlehander at the French Olympic regatta here, yesterday lifted spirits in a British team mixing objectives between domination and fine-tuning with 90 days to go to the Games.

That, added to a first and a sixth on Saturday, should ensure her impressive passage into the gold fleet when the cut is made after up to three more races today. Also making easy work of the cut on a breezy, bumpy Mediterranean were John Merricks and Ian Walker in the men's 470 class. A fourth, sixth and seventh, in addition to Saturday's second and fifth, kept them in the top three overall.

n John Kostecki and Paul Cayard, opponents during last year's America's Cup regatta, were tied for the lead after the first round in the Star class of the US yachting trials in Savannah, Georgia.