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Mongoose Takes Over as Leader in Transpac; Silver Bullet Second

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Paul Simonsen’s Santa Cruz-70, Mongoose, out of San Francisco, logged a 263-mile run Wednesday to take over the elapsed-time lead in the 2,225-mile Transpacific yacht race from Los Angeles to Honolulu.

Mongoose reported a position 690 miles from the finish off Diamond Head, moving nine miles ahead of the previous leader, Mitchell Rouse’s Taxi Dancer, in a brisk northeasterly breeze. Taxi Dancer’s run was 254 miles.

Moving up dramatically into second place was Silver Bullet, skippered by John DeLaura of Sunset Beach, Calif., sailing for Waikiki Yacht Club. Silver Bullet had a 288-mile day and was 693 miles out.

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The Class A boats were averaging 12 knots and surfing down six-foot seas. To beat the elapsed time record of 8 days 11 hours, the lead boat must reach Diamond Head by midnight (9 p.m., Hawaiian Standard Time) Saturday.

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