IT SEEMS nothing is sacred in rugby these days, not even the greatest beano of them all - the hallowed Middlesex Sevens. This venerable tournament, now in its 73rd season, has embraced the good, the bad and the ugly facets of amateurism, from Mexican waves which rain pints of beer on bystanders, to some stunning tries and thrilling matches; everyone had always participated for love and always it has been in the "mirie month of May". And while Grant Dalton, who said he would stab himself with the dividers from his chart table if he ever got beaten by the women's team, may take a day or two to recover from his wounds, he will realise he has closed the gap on Swedish Match in second.But while four skippers, including Smith, will spend the week poring over the permutations that could see them on the podium alongside Cayard on Sunday, this week belongs to the EF Language crew who sealed the race last night. But now questions are being asked whether it has the appeal it used to hold. But if EF Language's arrival to victory marked the end of any hopes Krantz and the other seven skippers secretly harboured of winning, across the fleet the order into La Rochelle offered elation and disappointment.Up at the front, the two British sailors will be happy to head towards Southampton on a high note after a disappointing race. Smith has been plagued by poor results early on and the loss of his mast in the Southern Ocean, while Toshiba has fallen foul of the international jury losing points on two legs.
Behind, the crew of Chessie Racing, liberally scattered with sailing's stellar order were happy to settle for third place, coming from the back of the fleet. With Merit Cup and Innoivation Kavaerner behind them, Chessie's chances of an overall podium finish improved further.For the women of EF Education, a fourth place was something they will have dreamed about for the entire race, knowing that they have a boat the equal of Cayard's. With Swedish Match behind, Cayard will have arrived safe in the knowledge that the race is his. Although the shore crew were not planning any great celebrations, out on the water the crew were already looking back over a race that could hardly have gone any better for the "bunch of Whitbread rookies" they called themselves at the outset.A day before the finish, navigator Mark Rudiger informed the crew that they had "tied the knot", and closed the loop around the planet they started in September It focused their minds. His lowest finish of the race was due to the fact that for much of the leg he was looking over his shoulder at Gunnar Krantz's Swedish Match, covering the Swedes move for move.Cayard has been saying for months that he was keen to tie his first Whitbread, up before the final leg to avoid the potential pitfalls of the 400-mile dash to Southampton this week.
"People want to hear about me versus Lawrie," said Standbridge afterwards, "but team Toshiba v Team Silk Cut is the way I see it."The private duel will hardly have troubled Paul Cayard, who, as skipper of EF Language was due to arrive early this morning in sixth place. He is a little bit different than the typical clay court players." We shall have an opportunity to judge how different today.. IT WAS Smith versus Standbridge, British skipper versus British skipper, each desperate to beat the other and neither with very much to lose. The eighth leg of the Whitbread Round the World Race, which came alight in the middle of last week when the early leaders piled into light airs and Silk Cut came from nearly 200 miles behind to take the lead, stayed nip and tuck to the finish, when Paul Standbridge on Toshiba just held off Lawrie Smith's Silk Cut to win.
