LONDON -- The Whitbread Round the World Race, the world's premier long-distance yachting event, is preparing to sail into uncharted waters.


More legs, shorter stopovers and new ports-of-call, including Baltimore and the northern coast of France, were some of the changes announced last week for the seventh edition of the race to be held in 1997-98.


Organizers are seeking to raise the race's profile and make it easier to follow in a television-oriented world, which helped explain the decision to add Baltimore to the list of host cities.


The 1997-98 race will feature nine legs with stopovers in seven countries. Four of the legs will be virtual sprints in Whitbread terms, including a short dash across the English Channel to the final finish line at Southampton, England. The 1993-94 contest, which finished in May, contained six legs, including only one that could be called a sprint.


The 50,886 kilometer, nine-month race will begin in September 1997 at the traditional starting venue of Southampton. The first leg will finish in Cape Town, South Africa.


Stopover periods will be shortened to two to three weeks after a "long'' leg, and to less than one week after a "short'' leg.