Pacific 1000 Catamaran Race : Smyth, Hill Still in First After Finishing Second

Roy Seaman and Greg Richardson out-dueled Randy Smyth and Jim Hill in the eighth leg of the Pacific 1000 catamaran race Wednesday, but Smyth and Hill maintained a big lead in the overall standings.

Seaman, of Malibu, and Richardson, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., led most of the 45-mile race Wednesday and beat the overall leaders by 15 seconds.

Despite finishing second Wednesday, Smyth, of Huntington Beach, and Hill, of San Francisco, lead by more than two hours in the overall standings over Seaman and Richardson, who are second overall.

Larry Harteck of Santa Barbara and Eric Brinton of San Diego finished third Wednesday. They are fourth in the overall standings behind George DelBianco of Madera, Calif., and Mike Checketts of Fresno.

Del Bianco and Checketts finished sixth in Wednesday’s heat.

Racing continues Thursday with competitors sailing from Oxnard, around Anacapa Island to Santa Barbara. The 1,000-mile race will conclude on Sunday in Huntington Beach.