YACHT AGROUND; KNOX-JOHNSTON TALKING (SOF).



TRANSCRIPT: REPORTER: "WERE THERE ANY TIMES THAT YOU'VE BEEN REALLY WORRIED FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY?"



KNOX-JOHNSTON: "....BUT THE TIME I THOUGHT THE BOAT WAS GOING TO BREAK UP ABOUT FORCE TEN DOWN IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICA AND AUSTRALIA AND THE WAVES WERE HITTING US, THEY WERE COMING AT US FROM TWO DIRECTIONS. THE WIND HAD BACKED VERY SUDDENLY WITH A COLD FRONT, AND I COULDN'T GET HER TO RUN COMFORTABLY AND THE WAVES KEPT HITTING US FROM THE SIDE AND QUITE HONESTLY IT SOUNDED AS IF SOMEBODY WAS DROPPING AN ANVIL ON THE DECK. THIS IS A TERRIFIC SEA BOAT. SHE'LL TAKE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING. QUITE OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LIMIT, BUT I HAVEN'T REACHED IT YET."



REPORTER: "WHAT ARE YOUR MOST - BEING ON THE BOAT ON YOUR OWN - IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU REALLY MISS - WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN THE VOYAGE IS OVER?"



KNOX-JOHNSTON: "HOT BATH"...



REPORTER: "ANYTHING ELSE?"




Initials TS/VS-TELE/MR/PF



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: ROBIN KNOX-JOHNSTON, WHO NOW HOLDS A 4,000-MILE (6,437 KMS.) LEAD IN THE ROUND-THE-WORLD SOLO YACHT BEING SPONSORED BY A BRITISH SUNDAY NEWSPAPER, IS NOW HEADING FOR CAPE HORN ON THE HOMEWARD LEG OF HIS JOURNEY. IN HIS 32-FOOT (9.7 METRES) KETCH SUHAILI, KNOX-JOHNSTON HAS ALREADY BROKEN THE WORLD RECORD FOR THE LONGEST SOLO NON-STOP VOYAGE, AND BEFORE HE SET SAIL FROM NEW ZEALAND FOR THE CAPE WEDNESDAY HE TOLD A REPORTER HE MISSES ENGLISH BEER MOST.

ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT KNOX-JOHNSTON'S YACHT WENT AGROUND AT THE MOUTH OF OTAGO HARBOUR IN NEW ZEALAND. IT WAS REFLOATED LATER AND HE CARRIED ON HIS WAY. BEFORE SAILING, KNOX-JOHNSTON SPOKE TO A REPORTER.......

KNOX-JOHNSTON STANDS TO WIN GBP5,000 STERLING IF HE HAS THE FASTEST ROUND-THE-WORLD TRIP. FOUR COMPETITORS HAVE ALREADY DROPPED OUT OF THE RACE, LEAVING FIVE STILL TAKING PART.