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Slater tops Irons in Billabong final

Kelly Slater posted a 9.50 on his final wave to edge Kauai's Andy Irons in the finals of the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay surf meet yesterday in South Africa.

Slater topped Irons 16.83-16.56 to claim the title.

Irons beat his brother, Bruce Irons, 16.50-13.50 in the fourth round and registered victories over Raoni Monteiro and Greg Emslie to reach the final.

Pyewacket trails Plattner's Morning Glory

With less than two days to sail in his 15th and final Transpacific Yacht Race, Roy Disney was cherishing the moments yesterday.

His fourth Pyewacket, a maxZ86, probably will beat the record he set with his third Pyewacket in 1999, but it would be a bittersweet achievement. Hasso Plattner's Morning Glory, probably will own the new record.

Yesterday's daily position reports showed that Pyewacket had gained 3 miles on the German boat with the day's best run of 365 miles, but still trailed by 63 with 702 to go. The next boat, Randall Pittman's Genuine Risk, was another 24 miles back.

"We've got 612 miles to go now," Disney said by satellite phone. "We're doing OK, going along at 20 knots in a nice breeze, but there's not a lot of options when we're sort of sailing down into a funnel toward the finish."

All Pyewacket can do is follow Morning Glory through the windy channel between Molokai on the left and Oahu on the right before heading toward Diamond Head.

Disney also noted that Morning Glory had consolidated its lead "when they went north of us yesterday. I would have done the same thing."

Morning Glory, averaging 13.8 knots for the 2,225-nautical mile race, was projected to finish early tomorrow morning.