SAILING : Persuasion Takes Transpac Lead

Neil Barth’s Persuasion, shadowed closely by Hasso Plattner’s Morning Glory from Germany, has taken over the pace halfway into the 37th biennial Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii, with a chance to finish first overall.

The Excel 53, from Newport Harbor Yacht Club, replaced Jerry Montgomery’s 40-foot Patriot, from Alamitos Bay YC, at the front of the 2,225-nautical mile race with 1,154 miles to go. It remains to be seen whether Persuasion and Morning Glory can hold off the ULDB 70s that started a day later and were 127 miles behind and sailing slightly faster, according to Wednesday’s position reports.

In that group, about half a dozen sleds continued to sail in a bunch as John DeLaura’s Silver Bullet inched ahead of Roy Disney’s Pyewacket in their tight battle, virtually within hailing distance of one another.

Projections were that the first boats should pass Diamond Head next Monday, but in the latest report, the wind had dropped to 10-12 knots, with overcast skies across the course. They will have to finish Sunday to beat Merlin’s record of 8 days 11 hours 1 minute 45 seconds set in 1977.