YACHTING: FORMER Sandbach firefighter Robin Philips is gearing up for the next leg of the BP Global Challenge.

The 50-year-old is part of the BP Explorer team currently holding joint leadership of the world's toughest round-the-world boat race.

The yachts are due to set from Wellington in New Zealand, on Sunday, for a short sprint to Sydney in Australia. It is the shortest leg of the 32,532 mile race, taking just seven days to cover 1,250 miles.

A race spokesman said: 'This will be an intense dash for the line from the moment the gun goes off. The start itself will be a spectacle for the thousands of spectators expected.

'After jostling for position in the start box and aiming to cross the line just as the start gun fires for the third time, the fleet will race round a series of marks before heading to Australia.

'Once the race is under way the stakes will be high. Mistakes will be severely punished, as close-quarter racing is almost a certainty - any tactical gains, or blunders, could have a dramatic effect on the finishing positions.'