SAILING:FRENCH-ENTRY Groupama, skippered by Franck Cammas, delivered its best stage win of the Volvo Ocean Race yesterday by winning the 98-mile sprint into Abu Dhabi and the conclusion to leg two of the round-the-world race.

Cammas and his multinational crew, which includes Kerry sailor Damian Foxall, overtook the overall race leader Telefonica, skippered by Spanish Olympic gold medallist Iker Martinez, 10 miles from the finish and won by 52 seconds.

“We were very fast today,” said Cammas. “This morning we were a little worried about the repair. Now, I think we were so fast we will leave it the way it is!”

However, yesterday’s short sprint leg from Sharjah only counts for 20 per cent of normal leg points so the Spanish boat has extended its dominance of the six-boat fleet thanks to its earlier stage win from Cape Town to the secret Indian Ocean “safe haven” port.

The fleet was loaded onto a cargo ship with armed guards as an anti-piracy measure and delivered to Sharjah.

Chris Nicholson’s Camper with Emirates Team New Zealand placed third and retains second overall while Groupama remains in third spot.

Ken Read’s Puma Ocean Racing and Ian Walker’s Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, both of which were dismasted in leg one from Alicante to Cape Town, were fourth and fifth yesterday and remain in the same positions in the overall standings.

The sixth entry, Mike Sanderson’s Team Sanya, has been in Madagascar for the last three weeks and yesterday completed repairs to its rig and expects to resume leg two as far as the secret port where it will await the return of the fleet and the stage to sponsor port of Sanya in China.

The five boats in Abu Dhabi will have four days for repairs and maintenance before the next in-port race on Friday of next week and the first stage of leg three of the race to China the following day.