Ross Field, navigator of Team News Corp may give the fourth leg—Auckland-Rio—of the Volvo Ocean race a pass after sailing the third leg—Sydney-Hobart-Auckland—with two broken ribs and a re-kindled back injury suffered in leg 2—Capetown-Sydney. "It was very painful," he said. "When I arrived at the dock I was in agony, I could hardly walk."

Field hasn’t definitely stepped down, choosing to make the decision closer to the January 27th re-start. "I am going to make an assessment closer to the time, but it doesn’t look that hopeful. It will be disappointing to miss the leg, but we have to have the crew 100 per cent," said Field. "It was always planned to move the crew around and Steve (Cotton), a watch captain, was always going to move into more of a tactical role."

Field, a New Zealander, won the Whitbread Round the World race in 1993-4 as the skipper of Yahama, a first-generation Whitbread 60.

From a report by Julie Ash in the New Zealand Herald. www.nzherald.co.nz/sports/