■SAILING
Volvo yacht race to begin
Competitors in the Volvo yacht race head out across the Atlantic today in what threatens to be one of the most hazardous legs of the nine-month round-the-world event. Pre-race favorite Ericsson 4 of Sweden holds a strong lead in the overall standings ahead of the seventh stage from Boston to Galway, Ireland, a course of 4,630km. The seven entries leaving New England will be conscious of the dramatic events of last edition in 2006, in which Dutch boat ABN Amro 2 lost a man at sea and Spain’s Movistar sank in the Atlantic. Ericsson 4, skippered by Brazil’s double Olympic gold medalist Torben Grael, tops the overall standings with a comfortable lead of 12.5 points over Spain’s Telefonica Blue.
■GOLF
Sorenstam expects baby girl
Swedish golf superstar Annika Sorenstam and husband Mike McGee said on Thursday that their first baby, due in the autumn, is a girl. Sorenstam, 38, had announced in March that she was expecting her first child. On Thursday she revealed on her blog that the baby is a girl. “To use golf terms, we just ‘made the turn’ from a timing standpoint and are very excited that everything looks good so far,” Sorenstam said. “We’ll keep you posted.” Sorenstam retired from the LPGA Tour last year after 72 victories and 10 majors, saying she wanted to focus on her business interests and start a family. Sorenstam married McGee, son of former PGA Tour player Jerry McGee, in January.
■RUGBY UNION
Cup Challenge canceled
The inaugural Rugby World Cup Challenge, featuring Gloucester, Saracens, Western Force and Perpignan, was canceled because of poor infrastructure and lack of sponsors, reports said yesterday. The tournament was to be held in Singapore in July. It was the brainchild of retired Wasps, England and Lions hooker Phil Greening and had the backing of the Singapore government, which has ambitions of turning the city-state into a regional sports hub. “Unfortunately due to the added cost of developing the facilities to be able to hold an event like this in Singapore, we have had to cancel the event in Singapore,” Greening was quoted as saying on the Planet Rugby Web site. The Straits Times newspaper said it was canned because of a lack of sponsorship, with organizers unable to raise enough money to put night lighting around the Padaing cricket ground where it was to be held. It was also believed that the event had not received clearance from the International Rugby Board.
■FORMULA ONE
F1 holds crisis talks
Formula One teams were to hold crisis talks with world motorsport head Max Mosley yesterday to try to stave off the threat of world champions Ferrari and others walking away. In what amounts to a high stakes game of blink, the International Automobile Federation president and 10 teams are facing off, with each side adamant they are not bluffing and seemingly determined to out-stare the other. The federation wants an optional £40 million (US$60.50 million) cost cap, offering greater technical freedom than available to those teams staying on unrestricted budgets, which they say is needed for the sport’s survival in the face of the global financial crisis. Ferrari say that will lead to a two-tier championship that they cannot accept. They, and former champions Renault, have said they will leave at the end of the season unless the regulations are re-written. Toyota and Red Bull’s two teams have also said they cannot submit their entries by the May 29 deadline for the same reasons.
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