THE BT Global Challenge may have become a two-horse race between favourites LG Flatron and Compaq, both contenders for the Princess Royal Trophy.

The yachts left the French port of La Rochelle yesterday on the final leg and by this morning they had made good progress on their way to Southampton.

The race between the fleet was hotting up with just 20 miles separating the 12 teams and only six miles between the first six yachts.

And there is still plenty of fight, especially among the three Hampshire skippers - Mark Denton (BP), Neil Murray (Norwich Union) and Will Carnegie (Veritas).

All three know the Solent like the back of their hands, and would love to cross the line first off the Royal Victoria Country Park on Saturday afternoon. "I have done much more sailing in the Solent than either Mark or Will, so I would like to think that gives me an advantage over both of them and the rest of the skippers," said Hamble-based Neil Murray, 34, whose boat is currently ninth overall.

"To win this final leg would just be superb. I led the fleet out of the Solent last September, so it would be lovely to lead them back in on Saturday."

Neil already has plans for after the race.

On September 22, he will be flying out with his wife Heather, sons Max, 4, and Toby, 2, and their dog Popeye to a new life in New Zealand. While on a stop-over in Wellington, he landed a job as a senior sailing instructor at the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club.

"In a way, this draws a neat line under the race as I start a new challenge," said Lyndhurst-born Neil. "I've got a great job in Wellington - my family came out to meet me there during the stopover and liked the place, so we will be selling up in Hamble and moving on. I can't wait."

Mark Denton is equally determined on victory. His crew lie third. They cannot win the race, but a podium finish is what the 32-year-old from Southampton is after, and possibly a second place berth for BP.

He said: "It would have been wonderful to have had a shot at the Princess Royal Trophy.

"Unfortunately, our downfall was in Buenos Aires, when we were lying third, but didn't start the leg to Wellington until eight hours after the field, when we discovered we had fuel contamination - water had got into the fuel.

"We had to hand-pump 450 gallons of fuel and replace it.''