, ▁Con ny ▁van ▁R iet sch oten ▁turned ▁to ▁American ▁design ers ▁Spark man ▁& ▁Steph ens ▁to ▁design ▁a ▁more ▁modern ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁Sw an ▁ 6 5 ▁production ▁y acht ▁Say ula ▁II , ▁which ▁had ▁won ▁the ▁first ▁Whit b read ▁race ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 / 7 4 . ▁The ▁new ▁Fly er , ▁built ▁in ▁al umin ium ▁by ▁J acht wer f ▁W . ▁H uis man , ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁k etch , ▁but ▁with ▁a ▁longer ▁water line ▁and ▁more ▁sail ▁area . ▁ ▁After ▁winning ▁the ▁trans at l antic ▁race , ▁the ▁Fly er ▁crew ▁found ▁their ▁greatest ▁rival ▁to ▁be ▁another ▁Sw an ▁ 6 5 , ▁the ▁s loop ▁rig ged ▁British ▁y acht ▁King ' s ▁Leg end , ▁with ▁Nick ▁Rat cl iffe ▁as ▁the ▁ski pper ▁and ▁American ▁Sk ip ▁Nov ak ▁as ▁the ▁navig ator . ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁miles ▁from ▁Cape ▁Town , ▁the ▁two ▁cre ws ▁found ▁themselves ▁within ▁sight ▁of ▁each ▁other , ▁before ▁Fly er ▁pulled ▁ahead ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁first ▁leg ▁of ▁the ▁race ▁from ▁Port sm outh ▁by ▁ 2 ▁hours ▁ 4 ▁minutes . ▁On ▁the ▁second ▁leg ▁to ▁A uck land , ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁King ' s ▁Leg end ▁st ole ▁the ▁upper ▁hand , ▁and ▁soon ▁had ▁a ▁ 3 6 0 mile ▁lead ▁over ▁Fly er ▁as ▁the ▁Whit b read ▁fleet ▁rac ed ▁across ▁the ▁Southern ▁Ocean ,