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MAPFRE, Team SCA

Wind Speed: 14.8 to 14.9 knots
Boat speed SOG (last 15 mins): 14 to 15 knots
Wind direction: 126º to 133º
Lowest boat speed: MAPFRE (14.9 knots)
Highest boat speed: Team SCA (14.8 knots)
Lowest wind speed: Team SCA (27 knots)
Highest wind speed: MAPFRE (32 knots)

And then there were two.

Having spent much of yesterday negotiating an area of very little wind, MAPFRE and Team SCA looked like they were setting up for a dramatic exchange of places in the race for sixth spot after Team Alvimedica finished at 0107 UTC this morning.

After a difficult Doldrums crossing, Team SCA has been consistently on the back foot, missing out on the many opportunities offered to the main pack.

On some schedules (six-hourly position reports), they were trailing by an uncomfortable distance. It is credit to their tenacity and determination that they caught MAPFRE up to at one stage to be closer to Cape Town then the Spanish.

Both teams twisted and turned desperately trying to be the first to escape the light air zone that lay between them and the finish.

Escaping to the north, MAPFRE led the charge – or should we say crawl? – slowly picking up the wind just before Team SCA. This gave them the slight jump they needed to get ahead.

Then in a bold move to attack, Team SCA traded places with MAPFRE from a southerly set-up to leeward position.

This move happened just as the wind started to build. Team SCA were sailing a freer course to maximize boat speed in the run into Cape Town.

They are now in 30 knots with wind on the beam at 131º, sailing at about 16 knots. Yesterday the boats had no wind; now they have too much.

We've just heard that watch leader Liz Wardley (AUS) was washed off her spot at the helm earlier this morning but fortunately was harnessed on and escaped injury. Just shows the force of the waves coming across the magenta boat.

Stop Press: We are in for a grandstand finish. MAPFRE are closer to the finish but are heading straight for the wind shadow of Table Mountain so they will need to bear off quite considerably. Meantime, Team SCA is set up further out to sea and has the option of sailing beyond the wind shadow. Stay glued to see how this plays out. 

That’s it for this leg, folks. Hope you’ve enjoyed these logs. We’ll be back in business for Leg 2 when the fleet heads out from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi.

Meantime, fair winds. 

ALVI

Wind Speed: 24 knots
Boat speed SOG (last 15 mins): 16 knots
Wind direction: 115º
DTL: 0
DTF: 80,5

MAPFRE

Wind Speed: 22 knots
Boat speed SOG (last 15 mins): 14 knots
Wind direction: 118º
DTL: 126,5
DTF: 207

SCA

Wind Speed: 15 knots
Boat speed SOG (last 15 mins): 16 knots
Wind direction: 117º
DTL: 134,4
DTF: 214.9

It's been a slow day, particularly for the two boats at the back, but the good news is that the wind is slowly building, and they could well be doing upto 30 knots overnight.

In fact, the closest team to Cape Town, Team Alvimedica, are currently blasting along in 25 knots, and have their three sails up. Their current ETA into South Africa is 0000 UTC.

The next two boats - MAPFRE and Team SCA - are scrapping to see who can grab sixth, and who will be left with seventh place.

It's a fascinating battle, and the girls are closing the gap on the Spanish boat. At the time of writing, they're only 7nm behind Iker Martínez' crew.

The ETA for both of the teams at the back is 1100 UTC tomorrow. 

Team Vestas Wind, Team Alvimedica, Team SCA, MAPFRE

Wind Speed: 4 to 20 knots
Boat speed SOG (last 15 mins): 3 to 12 knots
Wind direction: 120º to 313º
Lowest boat speed: MAPFRE (3 knots)
Highest boat speed: Team Vestas Wind (12 knots)
Lowest wind speed: Team Alvimedica (4 knots)
Highest wind speed: Team Vestas (20 knots)

After the nail-biting finish between Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Dongfeng Race Team plus the third-place finish by Team Brunel yesterday, the fleet are filing in with a lot more separation.

Team Vestas Wind will be the next boat to finish. A call from the skipper Chris Nicholson just received here in Race Control confirmed an estimated finish time of 1200 UTC.

The Danish sponsored boat has good 20-knot breeze on the beam and it is set to build. They still have the final obstacle to hurdle, a windless patch that lurks in the shadow of Table Mountain in Cape Town.

Without another boat breathing down their neck, it will just be a race against the clock – and the need to see their family and friends – plus, of course, a little Cape Town hospitality. 

It’s a very different story on board Team Alvimedica. The team has been stuck in a light patch for the last few hours, literally going nowhere.

The wind is now slowly filling in for the team and will pick up speed steadily throughout the day and the coming night.

The irony that has been going through the sailors’ minds is that by the finish they will have too much wind, maybe as much as 30 knots or more.

If they could have just used some of that gale to nudge them along last night, they would not have parked up for four hours.

And now for the exciting part of this penultimate morning report for Leg 1: we have a serious race on between MAPFRE and Team SCA for sixth spot.

Right now MAPFRE have made a bold move to sail north in a similar tactic to Team Vestas Wind yesterday. They are trying to sail up to where they feel the wind will fill in first. They are trading miles to the finish in return for potential velocity gain.

Team SCA, who have been trailing for much of this leg, have been spurred on by the hope that MAPFRE’s move is the wrong one.

The women are just pointing straight at the mark and, as the more southerly boat by about 20 nautical miles, are hoping for a right hand shift and more wind to reach off and over the Spanish opposition. 

Looking at the weather files just in, all we can confidently say right now is that they have a very good chance. On his 26th day at sea racing, MAPFRE skipper Iker Martinez obviously doesn’t agree. 

Latest position report: 1700 UTC

ADOR - Finished

Finish time (UTC): 15:10:44
Elapsed time: 25d 3h 10m 44s
Sailed Distance (nm): 8772,4
Max 24hr distance (nm): 539,3
Max 1hour average speed (Knots): 26,6

DFRT - Finished

Finish time (UTC): 15:22:44
Elapsed time: 25d 3h 22m 48s
Sailed Distance (nm): 8363,9
Max 24hr distance (nm): 541,7
Max 1hour average speed (Knots): 24,6

TBRU - Finished

Finish time (UTC): 19:33:25

VEST, ALVI, TEAM SCA, MAPFRE

Wind Speed: 8 to 15 knots
Boat speed SOG (last 15 mins): 5 to 19 knots
Wind direction: 80º to 330º
Lowest boat speed: VEST (5 knots)
Highest boat speed: SCA (19 knots)
Lowest wind speed: VEST (8 knots)
Highest wind speed: SCA (15 knots)

With three boats home and hosed, attentions turn to the rest of the pack.

Of the four boats still sailing, Vestas are closest to the finish line - with some 201nm left to go - but they are also the slowest, going at just 5kts due to a light patch.

Behind them, Team Alvimedica are 300nm from their destination, 80nm in front of sixth-placed MAPFRE.

And finally, bringing up the rear, Team SCA sits 406nm from the finish, but is doing 19kts, the fastest speed in the fleet.

Latest position report: 0630 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Wind speed: 4 to 19 knots
Boat speed SOG (last 15 mins): 7.4 to 18.2 knots
Wind direction: 2º to 352º

Lowest boat speed: Team Vestas Wind (7.4 knots)
Highest boat speed: Team SCA (18.2 knots)
Lowest wind speed: Team Vestas Wind (4 knots)
Highest wind speed: MAPFRE (19 knots)

It’s hard to race a boat with nothing to lose.

With only 4.4 nautical miles between Dongfeng Race Team and the leaders, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, and 65nm between Dongfeng Race Team and Team Brunel, the Chinese boat is dangerous.

They can twist and turn and it’s for Abu Dhabi to try to cover before they finally arrive in Cape Town around 1300 UTC today.

It may seem easy for Ian Walker and his team to just stay in between their close opposition and the finish, but Dongfeng Race Team have been showing the occasional turn of additional speed.

Yes, these are one-design boats with the same hull, mast and sails, but the human element allows some choices.

The choice of how much fuel to take, the choice of how much stackable equipment (within limits) and the choice of what sail combinations to use, is vital.

It’s hardly surprising that Dongfeng Race Team fitted their wind generator a week ago to help top up their batteries. Maybe they are carrying less fuel in an effort to reduce weight.

Other clues are that skipper Charles Caudrelier asked his crew to take the bare minimum from what is already a fraction of what is comfortable.

The two Chinese crew, Wolf and Horace, even share a jacket. It’s these small differences between the teams, maybe a 1% advantage, that can help you break the deadlock and get ahead.

The leaders are reaching into the finish with the wind due to track left and increase, turning the final miles into a beat.

This should play into Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s hands as it cuts down the passing options. Speed is Dongfeng Race Team’s only hope to wriggle past.

Both boats will be checking and double checking the AIS positioning software for any movement in relative positions.

All crew will be on the rail and they will be stacked to the max, ready for what looks like a cracking finish after 6,487nm.

So what of the rest of the fleet? Team Brunel are a little slower as they have dropped off the leading pack now while Team Vestas Wind is in three knots of wind and going very slow (7.4 knots).

The trailing pack of Team Alvimedica, MAPFRE and Team SCA is picking up speed, which makes the bitter pill they are sucking a little more palatable. 

Latest position report: 1900 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Wind speed: 8 to 16 knots
Boat speed SOG (last 15 mins): 13 to 24 knots
Wind direction: 46º to 338º

Lowest boat speed: Team Alvimedica (8 knots)
Highest boat speed: MAPFRE, Team SCA (16 knots)
Lowest wind speed: Team Alvimedica (7 knots)
Highest wind speed: Team SCA, MAPFRE (14 knots)

Almost there! Abu Dhabi are only 233 nautical miles away from Cape Town and are expected in the South African capital tomorrow afternoon. The Emirati boat is still in the lead, but is only doing 9 knots… And Dongfeng are 3.3nm behind.

Followed by Team Brunel and Team Vestas Wind (all expected to arrive tomorrow), the leaders are now sailing straight to the finish.

There isn’t much room left for big strategic decisions – it’s all about performance, and playing the local effects when approaching Cape Town. A three or four hour lead can easily be lost there, partly because of the impact of the mountains on the wind.

Team Alvimedica have been the only ones to loose ground since the last position report – 24nm exactly.

More than 500nm behind the first boats, MAPFRE and SCA are the furthest away from the finish line, but they are showing great speeds, having picked a northerly route and sailing at 16 knots. 

Last position report: 0630 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Wind Speed: 19-8 knots
Boat speed SOG (last 15 mins): 11.7 to 17.9 knots
Wind direction: 167º to 305º

Lowest boat speed: Team SCA (11.7 knots)
Highest boat speed: Team Vestas Wind (17.9 knots)
Lowest wind speed: Team Alvimedica (8 knots)
Highest wind speed: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (19 knots)

The teams battling for the lead swapped sides last night.

They each have their tactical plans. Dongfeng Race Team attacking and Abu Dhabi Ocean Race defending. The Chinese boat’s skipper Charles Caudrelier knew that one of his chances to attack would be at night. Just eight nautical miles (nm) separated them when the cross happened at 0640 UTC this morning.

Caudrelier and his team came from the south, sailing a slightly deeper course, crossing skipper Ian Walker’s line, gybing to leeward just after the switch.

In this cat-and-mouse game of manoeuvre and counter manoeuvre, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing navigator Simon Fisher, gybed in front and to windward of Dongfeng.

He spoke about his relief when receiving the scheduled position report confirming that they had their opposition just where they wanted them.

The high cold winds and aggressive waves have abated a little before coming back up in the last push into Cape Town.

The tension on board Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing is high and will probably not let up until past the finish line under 500nm away.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s onboard reporter Matt Knighton describes skipper, Walker.

“Wearing his stress and nervousness onboard, Ian hasn’t been able to sleep. His eyes are bloodshot, he’s jumpy for each perceived decrease in boat speed, and his familiar humour is subdued under a quieter exterior,” he writes

“Exhausted, and with the saltwater continuing to flood the cockpit, the bearded faces up on deck continue to steadily take the race one mile at a time. The war of attrition wages on.”

Caudrelier makes a valid comment about his rival Walker.

"The pressure is on his shoulders," says Charles. "For us, it is our second place despite technical problems, and we do not have much to lose."

Team Brunel look like accepting their place in third but are still pushing hard to grab an opportunity to improve on that.

The rest of the chasing pack will fall the other side of a weak high pressure ridge that will see wind speeds drop and push their arrive back up to a day. 

Last position report: 1700 UTC

Leader: ADOR
Wind Speed: 16-29 knots
Boat speed SOG (last 15 mins): 13 to 24 knots
Wind direction: 259º to 294º

Lowest boat speed: Team Alvimedica (13 knots)
Highest boat speed: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing & Dongfeng Race Team (24 knots)
Lowest wind speed: Team SCA (16 knots)
Highest wind speed: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (29 knots)

The wind is strong - and the front pack now has less than 750 nm to go until they reach Cape Town.

Since the last position report, all boats except Team Vestas Wind and Dongfeng Race Team have lost miles to Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. The former has remained the same distance away from first place, and the latter have actually gained four miles.

The fleet now has a light air transition zone to cross in the next 24 hours before getting into a South Easterly breeze on the final strait to South Africa.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that these slower conditions might cause a break in the fleet. Will the front boats get through it quicker than the chasing pack?

Team Vestas Wind's Brian Carlin explains further: "It’s so far from comfort we are, although only 750 miles to go to Cape Town. The position we hold is fourth, we are trying our hardest to make some ground on the leaders.

We have a light air transition zone to cross in the next 24hrs then it’s another hammering from a south easterly into port. We will be looking for that overtaking lane, time is now all we have left and there’s not much of that either.

I’m sorry this isn’t longer and more informative but today was a tricky one, so fans stay tuned for more updates as we roll into the last 24hrs of this race." 

Last position report: 0630 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Wind Speed: 23 to 27 knots
Boat speed Speed Over Ground (15 mins): 20 to 22 knots
Wind direction: 284º to 314º

Lowest boat speed: MAPFRE (20.2 knots)
Highest boat speed: Team Brunel (22.7 knots)
Lowest wind speed: Team SCA (22 knots)
Highest wind speed: Abu Dhabi Race Team (30 knots)

The leading pack have crossed the 1,000nm to go to Cape Town, led by Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing with Team Brunel right in their tracks and Dongfeng Race Team to leeward in slightly more pressure.

There’s more breeze to the south where Dongfeng are sailing and a slightly better angle to stay in the pressure that’s keeping the Chinese boat cruising along at some 25 knots.

Team Vestas Wind is close enough to stay in contention in the same sea and wind conditions as the leading trio.

All the fleet are gunning along for all they are worth. After so much of the 6,847 nautical miles completed in this opening leg from Alicante, they don’t want to blow it with Cape Town just three days away (latest ETA is Thursday, November 6).

So what of Team Alvimedica? Can they yet catch the top four? The Turkish/USA are much further north and therefore in significantly different sea and wind conditions. Their pressure there is considerably lower than the guys they’re trying to run down so don’t bet on them catching up any time soon.

Team Alvimedica’s Onboard Reporter Amory Ross picks up the story: “With 1,000 miles to go the mood onboard is mixed. A week of fast sailing never really materialized and instead of having the opportunity to chase down the lead pack, we’re facing a situation in which we’re proceeding east alone, on our own.

“The sustained 22-24 knots of the last 24 hours have been a lot of fun there’s no question, but we couldn’t get south with it like the four leaders have, and they’ve stepped to the quick side of a nasty ridge of high pressure we’re desperately trying to outrun.

“Unfortunately it will overtake us - it’s inevitable - and when it does two things are fairly certain: we’ll watch the group to the south extend, and we’ll watch MAPFRE and Team SCA compress from far behind. There’s a good chance we’ll be the ‘monkeys in the middle’, wallowing for a day or two in no wind while we lose big on both sides." 

Last position report: 1700 UTC

Leader: ADOR
Wind Speed: 22 to 26 knots
Boat speed Speed Over Ground (15 mins): 17 to 25 knots
Wind direction: 302º to 309º

Lowest boat speed: MAPFRE (17 knots)
Highest boat speed: Dongfeng Race Team (25 knots)
Lowest wind speed: Team Alvimedica (22 knots)
Highest wind speed: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing & Dongfeng Race Team (26 knots)

The boats are now aimed towards Cape Town, and heading for the final strait.

Leaders Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing are closest to the destination, just 1291 nm away from the finish line - and second placed Dongfeng sit just five nm behind the Emirati boat.

Nearly 20 nm behind the front two is Bouwe Bekking's Dutch boat Team Brunel, and they currently posses a 31 nm advantage over Team Vestas Wind.

In fifth place, Team Alvimedica have 1421 nm left to cover, Spanish boat MAPFRE is just over 150 nm behind the young Americans, and Team SCA is bringing up the rear 442 nm away from the leaders.

There's still potential for a shake up, and even a park up further down the line, but there are unlikely to be so many big gains now due to the short distance left to sail.

Make no mistake though, the fleet isn't home and dry yet. The ever-changing weather is complicated, and is set to stay that way, with a high pressure system keeping the navigators on their toes. 

Last position report: 0630 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Wind Speed: 11 to 24 knots
Boat speed Speed Over Ground (15 mins): 10 to 20 knots
Wind direction: 311º to 349º

Lowest boat speed: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (10.8 knots)
Highest boat speed: Team SCA (20.2 knots)
Lowest wind speed: Team Brunel (11 knots)
Highest wind speed: MAPFRE (24 knots)

Mother Nature just can’t make her mind up. She doesn’t know if she is a kitten or a fully-grown African lion.

One minute the lion has woken up, stomach rumbling and she’s prowling, looking to break into a run to chase down her kill.

But then it’s a false alert and she decides to save her energy, back off, and drop back to the slow pad of an overfed tabby.

Seven Volvo Ocean 65s, spread over 460 nautical miles, are feeling the breath of this changeable cat. The back of the pack (Team SCA, MAPFRE) were in 20 knots overnight, making great bounding gains on the leaders.

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Dongfeng Race Team, Team Brunel, Team Vestas Wind and Team Alvimedica were playfully pushing a ball of wool around like fluffy kittens in less than three knots.

Unlike juvenile pussies with a ball of fun, this pride of cats doesn’t find it amusing. If Ian Walker were a lion (that’s another story) and you tried to tame that big cat by putting it on a lead, like any wild animal it would definitely not like it.

Walker, skipper of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, has understandably been frustrated how his crew has worked so hard to eek out a small lead only to have their leash tugged so that the rest of the fleet can catch up. It’s happened time and time again in this opening leg.

To add to Walker’s challenges, the fleet found the quaintly named Cough Island in their way over the past 24 hours and had to take avoiding action, sailing above it to the north.

We have recently stopped talked in this log about the expanding and compressing of the fleet but that doesn't mean the phenomenon is not still happening.

It’s amazing how changeable the weather models have been. The navigators on board must be sick of reformulating their routes and the crew must think they are compulsive liars. ‘Go south, don’t go south. Erm, now we’re going south…’

So as the fickle whims of Mother Nature continue to confuse the fleet and play havoc with arrival times for friends and families waiting on the dock in Cape Town.

The sailors out there just keep hunting and hope that the lion gathers pace and makes that final pounce for Africa.

Stop Press: The latest forecast looks like the big cat is waking up! 

Last position report: 1700 UTC

Leader: ADOR
Wind Speed: 13 to 20 knots
Boat speed Speed Over Ground (15 mins): 13 to 21 knots
Wind direction: 223º to 313º

Lowest boat speed: Team Vestas Wind (13 knots)
Highest boat speed: Team SCA (21 knots)
Lowest wind speed: Team Vestas Wind (13 knots)
Highest wind speed: Team SCA (20 knots)

It was a case of follow the leader this morning, as Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Team Brunel and Team Vestas Wind gybed at around 0700 UTC - mimicking the move of Dongfeng Race Team, who were the first ones to gybe south around two hours before.

An hour later, at around 0800 UTC, Spanish boat MAPFRE and Team Alvimedica also gybed - leaving the all-female Team SCA as the only ones who hadn't.

That changed at 1100 UTC when the magenta boat also positioned themselves south.

Currently, leaders Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing are just 70 nm from Gough Island, a volcanic island in the South Atlantic ocean, and a dependency of Tristan da Cunha.

Remember - the ice exclusion zone between 42°S, 10°W and 20°W means that the teams aren't able to cut straight through that area, but they are sticking as close as possible to the safe limits, with some sailing as close as 60nm to the border. 

Last position report: 0630 UTC

Leader: ADOR
Wind Speed: 19 to 26 knots
Boat speed Speed Over Ground (15 mins): 17 to 26 knots
Wind direction: 290º to 313º

Lowest boat speed: SCA (17 knots)
Highest boat speed: ADOR (26 knots)
Lowest wind speed: SCA (19 knots)
Highest wind speed: ADOR (26 knots)

Vodka Martinis are definitely not on offer in the Southern Atlantic Ocean but if they were, James Bond, OO7, would be disappointed. “Sorry sir, it’s shaken and stirred. You don’t have an option how it comes in this very exclusive part of the world.

“Oh, and we’ve had to hold the ice, due to an ice exclusion zone we are currently in. I can get whisk you up a coffee with powdered milk instead?”

If the English spy were on board, he would love the chase and the fast action now playing out at 40º south.

A day ago, the fleet did sail to 41º south and as if dipping its toe into an ice-cold pond and deciding not to dive in, it edged back from the bank.

After that gybing frenzy that we covered in yesterday’s report, the boats have raced WNW, slowly heading away from the ice exclusion zone that sits at 42º south.

Team Alvimedica is pointing straight at Tristan da Cunha, the most remote island in the world, where onboard reporter Amory Ross ended up in the last edition after the dismasting of PUMA.

His current course and building winds must be bringing back powerful memories.

Currently the leaders, led by Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, are being lifted on port gybe, setting themselves up nicely for a gybe back to the corner of the ice exclusion zone set at 42º south and 10º west.

Dongfeng has gybed already and is heading 152º back towards the Roaring 40s and a small island in their path called Cough Island, a perfect location for a Bond villain to have his lair.

We can expect the fleet to follow suit very soon and gybe with Dongfeng and make the most of the right shift.

Once past the corner of the exclusion zone, we could see the fleet push south again to colder and even more aggressive sailing conditions.

James Bond would be in his element. From Alicante with love… 

Last position report: 1700 UTC

Leader: ADOR
Wind Speed: 16 to 28 knots
Boat speed SOG (15 mins): 16 to 23 knots
Wind direction: 300º to 316º

Lowest boat speed: SCA (16 knots)
Highest boat speed: ADOR (23 knots)
Lowest wind speed: SCA (16 knots)
Highest wind speed: DFRT (28 knots)

It was like a case of follow the leader this morning, as all boats gybed between 0700 and 0800 UTC.

The leading pack then continued – but at around 1300 UTC both MAPFRE and Team SCA gybed again.

Dongfeng Race Team started the day in the lead, but that superiority was short-lived, and they lost pole position at around 1000 UTC this morning.

Incredibly, there is now just a 10 mile difference between Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in first place, and Dongfeng Race Team.

The Emirati boat is moving the fastest and is also chalking up the miles – they’ve just 1943 nm left until they hit Cape Town.

The current wind direction is west-north west, and all boats except Team Alvimedica, MAPFRE and Team SCA have now reached the Roaring Forties, found at latitude 40° South. 

Latest position report: 0600 UTC

Leader: Dongfeng Race Team
Wind Speed: 16 to 126 knots
Boat speed SOG (15 mins): 16 to 25 knots
Wind direction: 164º-192º 

Lowest boat speed: MAPFRE (11.7 knots)
Highest boat speed: Team Alvimedica (20.9 knots)
Lowest wind speed: Team SCA (16 knots)
Highest wind speed: Team Alvimedica (26 knots)

Like in the old English tale of Robin Hood, it’s a case of taking from the rich and giving to the poor. That is what we have been seeing over the last few days.

More wind just behind the leaders has allowed the middle, poorer pack to catch the rich leaders. Unfortunately for the most needy, Team SCA and MAPFRE, the handouts didn’t stretch that far down the queue and they have received no goodies in the form of strong breezes.

The fleet spread is now 490nm from first to seventh.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing has been robbed from both sides. Team Brunel and Team Vestas Wind from the west of them, and now Dongfeng Race Team from the east, are creeping up to pick their pocket in nautical miles.

The leaders have given each other a great opportunity to test their sail combinations. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing have reported that the boats are so close they can see when Team Brunel change a sail and can assess their relative speeds. All good learning for the race ahead.

The challenge for this log is that once a sentence is finished, the race situation, especially at the head of the fleet, can so rapidly change.

Think of the one bird in a huge flock of starlings that flinches first to change direction or something that startles a herd of impala.

Today is Halloween and the scene is set, what will spook the fleet? Who will be the first boat to lose their nerve and gybe? Could it be the American skipper Charlie Enright who has come to trick-or-treat the fleet to the east?

Should one boat gybe, then that is all the rest need to see to turn too.

The reason for the stand-off is they are trying to maximize the good shift they are in now. The fleet would not gybe if the ice exclusion were not there. They all have to go soon or they will stray into the exclusion zone.

After the fleet has passed ice exclusion zone, they will dive south again. It’s going to get cold. 

Latest position report: 1700 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Wind Speed: 11 to 18 knots
Boat speed SOG (15 mins): 11 to 15 knots
Wind direction: 4º-326º 

Lowest boat speed: Team SCA (11 knots)
Highest boat speed: Team Brunel (15 knots)
Lowest wind speed: Dongfeng Race Team & Team Alvimedica (11 knots)
Highest wind speed: MAPFRE (18 knots)

1.7 miles. That's the difference between Team Brunel and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing as we end day 19 of this race down to Cape Town.

At one point, there were three boats bunched up close together at the front of the fleet - but Team Vestas Wind decided to separate, and began heading further south at 1000 UTC, whilst the other two continued east.

It remains to be seen whether that was a good move, but whatever Wouter spotted from the Danish boat was obviously seen by Will Oxley on Team Alvimedica too, as the American team followed suit, gaining south at around 1200 UTC.

The leaders of the fleet now have just 180 miles to go until they hit the Roaring Forties - and should reach there early tomorrow morning. They're currently experiencing north westerly winds.

At the back of the fleet, Team SCA are travelling the slowest, in a northerly wind.

Interestingly, some crews have already reported albatross spottings. The endangered birds are local to the southern hemisphere, and can be found around Antarctica, Australia, South Africa and South America. 

Latest position report: 0600 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Wind Speed: 10 to 18 knots
Boat speed SOG (15 mins): 8.9 to 16 knots
Wind direction: 269º-350º 

Lowest boat speed: MAPFRE (8.9 knots)
Highest boat speed: Dongfeng Race Team (16 knots)
Lowest wind speed: Team SCA (10 knots)
Highest wind speed: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (18 knots)

After 19 days of Leg 1, the leaders are still within sight of each other, something we don’t think we’ve ever seen at such a stage between Alicante and Cape Town. It’s the ultimate inshore race, staged hundreds of miles offshore.

Abu Dhabi, Team Brunel and Team Vestas Wind are locked against each other with Dongfeng Race Team just 17NM further adrift.

It is unlikely that any boat will gybe away from their starboard course, as this will take them into less wind and point back at North Africa.

Matt Knighton, the OBR onboard Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, commented: “One might think that after 19 days of racing and being thousands of miles from land we’re surprised to see another boat so close. To be honest, we’re not.

“The shock of how close this one-design racing is has worn off. After the earlier battle down the African coast, it’s not surprising to see one or even two sails keeping pace with you for a very, very long time.”

Dongfeng is the most inside boat but, as we have been saying for some days, those closest to the high would trade wind speed for shift.

Right now the trade is not looking like a good one as the lifted inside shift is not paying them with enough wind speed to make the deal work.

Team Alvimedica is on the opposite side of the coin: more wind less shift. Lets see who is right.

Team Vestas Wind is the stalking horse here. So far from passing Fernando, navigator Wouter Verbraak has looked at times like he has lost the plot and others like a tactical genius. Right now, Wouter is looking more right then wrong.

Meantime, at the back of the fleet, it’s been tough work.

Team SCA has dropped off the pack in a lot less wind while MAPRFE has been struggling too after suffering water ingress and some electrical issues. 

Latest position report: 1700 UTC
Leader: Team Brunel
Wind Speed: 13 to 17 knots
Boat speed SOG (15 mins): 13 to 16 knots
Wind direction: 327º to 356º

Lowest boat speed: TBRU, ADOR, MPF (13 knots)
Highest boat speed: VEST (16 knots)
Lowest wind speed: SCA (12 knots)
Highest wind speed: VEST (17 knots)

Wind: North-northwest

The race to the south continues - and it appears that a gamble by Vestas might be paying off in a big way.

The Danish boat went far west and at the time of writing is level-pegging with front two Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Team Brunel, although it has a better angle for the wind.

And it's that wind direction which has really cost Brunel so far today.

Bouwe Bekking's boat tried to tip toe close around the high pressure system, but stumbled in low winds, and had to wait until 1330 UTC, when the wind moved to the northwest from northeast, before it could gybe south.

Just half an hour earlier, Abu Dhabi, sailing the "conservative" route as skipper Ian Walker referred to it yesterday, gybed too - and the three boats are now in a speed race down to the cold front blowing in from the west.

It will be interesting to see how this pans out - and how the two more easterly boats react to some aggressive strategy from Vestas navigator Wouter.

Let's not forget about Team Alvimedica and Dongfeng Race Team either. The pair currently sits between 25 and 40nm behind their Emirati rivals, and as the cold front arrives and the fleet compresses, they could close that gap further. 

Latest position report: 0630 UTC

Leader: Team Brunel
Spread of fleet: 295 nautical miles from Team Brunel to Team SCA
True wind speed: 9 to 18 knots 
Boat speed SOG (15mins): 10.4 to 15.8 knots
Course over ground: 122º to 148º
True wind direction: 0.00 - 042º

Lowest boat speed: 10.4 knots (Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing)
Highest boat speed: 15.8 knots (MAPFRE)
Lowest wind speed: 10.5 knots (Team Brunel)
Highest wind speed: 18 knots (MAPFRE)

Well well well. Maybe east has underestimated west.

Up until now the comment from the boats to the east has been that Team Vestas Wind had made a bad move by digging west.

But now, with the high pressure to the east expanding, perhaps Wouter on the Danish boat has read the future a little better and has set his team up for a comeback.

The Greek myth of Icarus comes to mind here. Is Team Brunel, currently in the lead, 1nm ahead of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, sailing too close to the sun? (in this case, the St Helena High). Will they get burnt and fall behind?

In a surprise plot twist, the weather routing models are showing the low that all the teams have been betting so much on, is disappearing too far south to connect with.

For days, it's been tempting them south with the promise of a fast ride. If the fleet was running to catch this low-pressure bus, then they've run too slowly - because they're about to miss the number 22 to Cape Town. The recently added restriction of an ice exclusion zone at 42º south has also made this option a little harder to achieve.

In ocean sailing, one question that the navigator must always ask themselves is - what’s most important? Pressure or shift? This is a textbook scenario, playing out before our very eyes.

The closer you sail to the centre of the high, the more shift you get, and the better you’re headed on starboard as you sail out of the high. But the trade off is lighter winds.

Unless the teams sail further into the High they should have passed the lightest wind patch and expect to see a slow build from here.

Ice exclusion zone
To avoid the risk of running into icebergs or growlers, this exclusion zone is formed by the line of longitude 20ºW south of 42ºS, the great circle line between positions 42ºS - 20ºW and 42ºS - 10ºW. These lines are the obstruction that the boats shall leave to starboard. 

Latest position report: 1700 UTC

Leader: Team Brunel
Spread of fleet: 294 nautical miles 
True wind speed: 10-18 knots 
Boat speed SOG (15mins): 12 to 19 knots
True wind direction: 12° - 49º

Lowest boat speed: 12 knots (Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing)
Highest boat speed: 19 knots (MAPFRE)
Lowest wind speed: 10 knots (Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing)
Highest wind speed: 18 knots (MAPFRE)

Well, it's certainly been an interesting afternoon out there on the watery track. Spanish boat MAPFRE maintained their westerly position, and since about 1200UTC, have been sailing parallel to Team Brunel, the boat currently leading the fleet.

The Dutch boat has wrestled the lead from Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, but the pair are the most easterly of the fleet, therefore sacrificing wind for the benefit of sailing less distance. 

"The next 3 days are crucial," said Ian Walker, on the Emirati boat this morning. "Whoever can get around this area of light winds and into the stronger ones can potentially stretch away."

Behind Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Team Alvimedica and Dongfeng Race Team are duking it out, and are currently neck and neck.

"We’ve noticed in the last couple days we’re going faster, better against the other guys than what we were at the start," says Dave Swete, on the orange boat.

"We’ve had a lot of boats around us, so we’ve learned from them, and we’re improving with every sched."

Team SCA sit at the back of the fleet, currently sailing in a light wind area - and are searching for the optimal course.

The question is, when will the boats hit the Roaring Forties, and get into the westerly winds which will sweep them into Cape Town? With the fleet heading south, and some even away from the destination, this is turning all the gains and losses data into almost irrelevant confusion – see our in-house expert article on that theme here.

Ice exclusion zone
To avoid the risk of running into icebergs or growlers, this exclusion zone is formed by the line of longitude 20ºW south of 42ºS, the great circle line between positions 42ºS - 20ºW and 42ºS - 10ºW. These lines are the obstruction that the boats shall leave to starboard.

Navigational expert Mark Chisnell reports on the second week of Leg 1 from the perspective of the navigators, as the fleet hits the Doldrums - don't miss his B&G blog here.

Latest position report: 0730 UTC

Leader: Team Brunel
Spread of fleet: 294 nautical miles 
True wind speed: 4 to 17 knots 
Boat speed SOG (15mins): 3 to 19 knots
Course over ground: 162º to 243º
True wind direction: 035 - 359º

Lowest boat speed: 3 knots (Team SCA)
Highest boat speed: 19 knots (Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing)
Lowest wind speed: 4 knots (Team SCA)
Highest wind speed: 17 knots (Abu Dhabi & MAPFRE)

On the hunt for the Roaring Forties winds, all seven boats are sailing south when the finish is to the east of them. This is turning all the gains and losses data into almost irrelevant confusion – see our in-house expert article on that theme here.

It also explains why we see a lead change this morning: Team Brunel are now in first position, 59nm ahead of Abu Dhabi. That’s because the Dutchies are in the most eastern position of the fleet, ie. closer to the finish in Cape Town.

Team Vestas Wind made a bold move against the two leaders to the west – but that is looking like being a lost opportunity. They are in quite less breeze now.

"Right now it’s almost as if we’re in a three-way tie for the lead with each boat making bets as to where the breeze is going to be strongest as we make our way around the western edge of the St Helena High," explains Abu Dhabi's Onboard Reporter Matt Knighton. "Vestas is way out west. We gybed westward a couple times during the day to try and find more wind. Brunel opted to continue on our original southerly route and not gybe west."

"Three boats, spanning a hundred miles of ocean, each with a chance of working around the other two to get around the high fastest. We’ve been routing all of our positions and if you were to trust the computer, we’d all be finishing within an hour of each other with Abu Dhabi in the lead."

"Time will tell, but whoever gets to the westerlies first will make big gains over the other two. It doesn’t look like there will be a massive park up after all."

At the back of the fleet, MAPFRE broke free too, heading 230nm west of Brunel. The most eastern boat of the fleet, they also had the strongest breeze - could that be a winning call propelling them towards the Southern Ocean conveyor belt?

As the fleet is sailing towards the Southern Ocean, getting closer to the St Helena High, conditions are changing too.

Sea and air temperatures go down. Thermals go on for the first time onboard Abu Dhabi. Fleece-layered hats are out onboard SCA.

Wind comes and goes. At midnight last night Vestas had a true wind speed of 23 knots at 339º. 100nm away Dongfeng only had 15 knots at 039º.

At 0400 UTC SCA only had 4 knots of wind and was sailing just 3 knots of boat speed. In a crawl twist, just 50 nm to the southwest MAPFRE were sailing in a steady 17 knots of wind at 15 knots of boat speed.

It’s obvious that there are plenty of opportunities to find a trap door and get sent in a positive or negative direct. But teams are also reporting that the normal racing tactic of covering (staying in between their competitor and the finish) is proving to be very hard.

Ice exclusion zone
To avoid the risk of running into icebergs or growlers, this exclusion zone is formed by the line of longitude 20ºW south of 42ºS, the great circle line between positions 42ºS - 20ºW and 42ºS - 10ºW. These lines are the obstruction that the boats shall leave to starboard.

Latest position report: 17:00 UTC

Spread of fleet: 224 nautical miles
Wind Speed: 13-20 knots
Boat speed: 13-19 knots
Wind direction: Average 28º
Lowest boat speed: 13 knots (Team Brunel)
Highest boat speed: 19 knots (Team Alvimedica)
Lowest wind speed: 13 knots (Team Brunel)
Highest wind speed: 20 knots (MAPFRE)

The question in recent days has been 'when will the teams head east towards Cape Town?', but at around 0900 UTC this morning, the fleet leaders Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Team Brunel actually gybed west, towards the Brazilian coast in order to generate more distance between themselves and the light winds of the St. Helena High.

An hour later, at around 1000 UTC, the Danish boat, Team Vestas Wind, followed suit, and at 1500 UTC, Dongfeng Race Team also replicated the gybe.

Wind speed has remained moderate, indeed, the sailors have been commenting how perfect the sailing is of late, and has been coming from a north-north easterly direction, which means that those at the front of the pack have had less wind than the chasers.

That has meant that we've seen compression in the fleet - the distance between the front few and those at the back has grown shorter, and continues to do so. 

For more information on the tracker, the decision to head south and the ranking criteria, check out this in-depth explanation from our resident meteorology expert, Gonzalo. 

Latest position report: 0630 UTC

Spread of fleet: 240 nautical miles
Wind speed: 16 knots
Boat speed: 14-20 knots
Wind direction: 170º 
Lowest boat speed: 14 knots (Team SCA)
Highest boat speed: 20 knots (Dongfeng Race Team) 
Lowest wind speed: 15 knots (Team Vestas Wind)
Highest wind speed: 19 knots (Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Dongfeng Race Team, Team Alvimedica)

The story today is one of caution. Who pulls the trigger and makes a move? The leaders or the chasing pack?

There is a small low-pressure system forming to the south. It’s about how many more miles you sail to get to it or whether you sail fewer miles and have it come to you.

The latter option involves turning to port earlier and risking a light air rendezvous with the St. Helena High. And that’s not something you want to say ‘hi’ to when you’re racing to Cape Town.

The leaders have to sail further south and thus more sides of the triangle. The cheeky chasing pack may be able to cut the corner, sail fewer miles and catch up.

For now the fleet just love the reasonably comfortable sailing, if that is possible in a Volvo Ocean 65.

At 20º south it’s not cold, the water temperature is 26º and the air temperature is the same. That is not the case where they are going next, all the way down to the Roaring 40’s

Last word with Amory Ross, onboard reporter with Team Alvimedica, who sums up life onboard neatly: “We’re basking in the traditional south-east trade winds, serving up a gorgeous dosage of 20-knot perfection squarely on the beam.

“An occasional cloud brings a bit of Brazilian fever, a quick reef and some warm water over the deck, but on the whole these days are exactly what you have in mind when you sign up for this race.”

Latest position report: 1700 UTC

Spread of fleet: North/South 24 miles, East/West 95 miles
Wind speed: 13-17 knots
Boat speed: 15-19 knots
Wind direction: Average 56º
Lowest wind: 13 knots (Dongfeng Race Team)
Highest wind: 17 knots (Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing)
Lowest boat speed: 15 knots (Dongfeng Race Team)
Highest boat speed: 19 knots (Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing)

As the fleet continues to head south, the wind is slowly decreasing. There has been a drop of 2-3 knots over the course of the day, and that is still falling.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Team Brunel and Team Vestas Wind still lead the seven boats, and are currently sailing in a south/south easterly direction trying to navigate around the St Helena high pressure system.

Interestingly, MAPFRE and Team SCA are sailing much closer to the Brazilian close. This might be with the intention of hooking into a small low pressure system close to Rio de Janeiro.

It's a risk, but if it comes off, it could have massive implications on the rankings.

But it might be a decision made out of desperation rather than strategy,as, over the last 24 hours, Ian Walker's Emirati boat has sailed the most miles, and MAPFRE the least.

Meanwhile, Dongfeng Race Team is still struggling to catch the breeze - at the time of writing, they are experiencing the lowest wind speed, and as such, have the lowest boat speed of the whole fleet. 

Latest position report: 0630 UTC

Spread of fleet: 222 nautical miles
Wind speed: 16 knots
Boat speed: 18 knots
Wind direction: 190º

Lowest wind: 15 knots (Team Vestas Wind)
Highest wind: 18 knots (Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing)
Lowest boat speed: 17 knots (Team Vestas Wind)
Highest boat speed: 19 knots (Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing)

At last.

Many of the crews are saying, for the first time since leaving the shores of Alicante on October 11, that they’re finally settling into a proper routine as they sail on the edge of the Trade Winds.

But, as ever, it’s no time to relax. There are considerable challenges ahead.

A recap

Until now, they have been scrapping for small gains through almost constant manoeuvres as they have navigated through geographical and metrological milestones: the Mediterranean, the African coast, the Cape Verde Islands, the Doldrums, Fernando de Noronha and now the South Atlantic open sea.

Although the fleet is enjoying the routine of one-tack racing and finally getting into a rhythm of a watch system without being hauled out of the bunk to help change sails, they know that it may all change.

It’s certainly not as simple as point and shoot

Ahead lies an ever-changing high pressure that is contracting and expanding like a huge jelly.

There is an option to try to sail further south and hook into a small low-pressure system that is forming off Rio. The boat would need to sail more distance but then ride the low pressure eastwards and faster towards Cape Town once they’re in it.

Alternatively, they could sail less mileage but run the risk of falling into the grip of the high.

The leaders, Abu Dhabi and Team Brunel can see the risk of a Formula 1 style restart as the front pack slows down and the chasing boats start stacking up directly behind them.

For now, though, the total fleet split is some 220 nautical miles, about 20nm more than since we last reported.

MAPFRE have sailed closest to the South American coast, about 44nm from Maceio in Brazil and it’s cost them ground with Team SCA slipping into sixth spot ahead of them. The mark of Fernando is now 641nm behind the leaders. 

Latest position report: 1700 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Spread of fleet: 50 nautical miles
Wind speed (last 15 minutes): 14-16knots
Boat speed (last 15 minutes): 15-18 knots
Wind direction: Average 100º

Lowest wind (Abu Dhabi, Team Brunel, Team SCA) - 14 knots
Highest wind (Team Vestas Wind, Dongfeng, MAPFRE) - 16 knots
Lowest speed (last 15 minutes): Abu Dhabi, MAPFRE, Team Alvimedica - 15 knots
Highest speed (last 15 minutes): Vestas, SCA - 18 knots

Abu Dhabi keep leading the fleet, to windward of Team Brunel and Team Vestas Wind. The Danish boat has chosen to move closer to the shore, sailing low and fast.

They’re off the Brazilian city of Aracaju.

Fourth, Dongfeng Race Team are distancing the last boats, with MAPFRE, Team Alvimedica and Team SCA behind them.

This group is sailing past Recife.

It’s a run south-southwest for now, sailing along the Brazilian coast in southeast trade winds. But these trades are going to weaken, dropping to 13-18 knots around the 10ºS latitude, and 10-15 knots around the 20ºS latitude.

Showers and squalls will develop near the land, and the wind will progressively shift to the east and the northeast.

This will affect the short-term options of the competitors and favour those placed offshore.

Long-term though, one strategy seems to be taking shape: The Run South, aka. The Big Dive. It’s all about heading south towards the Roaring Forties winds (40ºS) before turning east and heading towards Cape Town.

High pressure starts to consolidate over the central South Atlantic during Sunday - 1022mb high will be near 30-32s/22-26w Sun morning and this extends ENE to a 1023mb high near 28-30n/4-8w.

Single high-pressure cell Monday morning, 1026mb high near 32-34s/14-20w- weak low, 1011mb, forms offshore Rio de Janeiro and SW of Cabo Frio.

Remember, distances to finish are now calculated to Cape Town, not Fernando – ie. changes in gains and losses on the tracker in the past 24 hours. 

Latest position report: 0500 UTC

Spread of fleet: 98 nautical miles
Wind speed: 19 knots
Boat speed:18 knots
Wind direction: 093º
Lowest wind: 15 knots (Team SCA)
Highest wind: 21 knots (Team Vestas Wind)
Lowest boat speed: 13 knots (Team SCA)
Highest boat speed: 18 knots (Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Team Brunel, Team Vestas Wind)

Two major landmarks have been passed overnight: the fleet have crossed the halfway point on this 6,487 nautical mile opening leg between Alicante and Cape Town and they’ve passed the waypoint of Fernando de Noronha.

Enough of these go west, go east dilemmas we've seen over the past week, it’s all about speeding from north to south as fast as possible from now on before taking a turn east to Cape Town.

Fernando is pasted, now the Southern Ocean stretches out before them.

Overnight the fleet has closed up considerably. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing still lead by a relative sliver (17nm) from Team Brunel but Team Vestas Wind are now only 32nm from Ian Walker’s crew and Dongfeng Race Team are only 89nm behind.

Team Vestas Wind made the biggest inroads because of their better angle from the east, with a good bit more wind.

What happened to our two-horse race?

And what’s all this about the St. Helena High?

South Atlantic High is a semi-permanent pressure high, centered at about 25°S, 15°W, in the Atlantic Ocean. It is also called the St. Helena High. It can stretch thousands of miles across the South Atlantic, affecting shipping.

Sailors try to find a "corridor" through, using the low-pressure systems forming off the coast of Brazil that move west pushing against the high pressure.

Volvo Ocean Race’s Race Control put the Brazilian Island of Fernando de Noronha in the Racing Instructions as a waypoint, a mark of the course, which the fleet has to leave to port.

But why?

Simple, Race Control wants to remove the temptation of any boat thinking it might risk sailing directly south from the Med through the St. Helena High. Ships of the past have cruised into that region and been stuck there for weeks and weeks in no wind.

The good folks of Cape Town can’t wait that long, they’re itching for the fleet to sail in towards the end of the first week of next month.

The fleet plans to push south and pick up a low-pressure system that kick off the Brazilian coast and fly east.

The next pitfall the leaders have to navigate is how they sail through the lighter winds standing in their way before getting to the low-pressure system and heavier wind.

We will see the fleet contract and expand like a concertina or sailor’s squeezebox.

Remember, distances to finish are now calculated to Cape Town, not Fernando – ie. changes in gains and losses on the tracker in the past 24 hours.

Latest position report: 1700 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Spread of fleet: 180 nautical miles
Wind speed: 18-22 knots
Boat speed (last 15 minutes): 15-18 knots
Wind direction: Average 120º

Lowest wind: Team Vestas Wind - 17 knots
Highest wind: MAPFRE - 22 knots
Lowest boat speed (last 15 minutes): Team Brunel - 15 knots
Highest boat speed (last 15 minutes): Team Vestas Wind, Dongfeng Race Team, Team Alvimedica - 18 knots

Fernando de Noronha is so much more than a Brazilian island on the route of the seven Volvo Ocean 65s… It’s a compulsory waypoint, and a strategic turn.

The fleet is rounding the rock now, led by Abu Dhabi and Team Brunel, only six miles apart. Thinks are looking good for Vestas and Dongfeng, who have both shortened the distance to the leader by 12 miles in the last three hours.

MAPFRE and Team SCA have shortened that distance by 23 miles in the same lapse of time, and Team Alvimedica by 24 miles. All are sailing in the southeast trade winds. 

Longer term though, they have to make a tactical decision.

What strategy in the South Atlantic?

The St Helena High is the main feature blocking their way to Cape Town. 

In fact, this weather feature is so large that, despite a theoretical 3,353 miles left before the South African finish, the teams could have around 5,000 miles to actually sail to round it before they arrive in port.

This high-pressure system blocks the passage to Cape Town, forcing the boats to sail around it, or to risk a shortcut in between in case it is split in two parts.

Just after Fernando de Noronha, the navigators have two choices: dive aggressively in the south, to reach and sail in the strong Roaring Forties winds – in that case, they would probably pick a southwest course after Fernando.

Or they could chose to cut, and sail in the middle of the St Helena High – in that case, they would pick a southeast course after rounding the waypoint.

Official times across the Equator:

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing - 141023 - 21:12:50
Team Brunel – 141023 - 22:08:02
Team Vestas Wind – 141024 - 01:40:36
Dongfeng Race Team – 141024 - 08:45:44
MAPFRE – 141024 - 10:51:18 AM
Team Alvimedica - 141024 - 11:23:48 AM
Team SCA – 141024 - 1220 UTC

Official times around Fernando de Noronha (to leave on port side):

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing – 141024 - 1420 UTC
Team Brunel - 141024 - 1545 UTC
Team Vestas Wind – 141024 – now  

Latest position report: 0700 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Wind speed: 16 knots
Spread of fleet: 230 miles
Boat speed: 16-18 knots

It’s been three days of pain but finally all the boats have escaped the Doldrums and are racing just as fast as they can for the island of Fernando de Noronha.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing continue to race clear of second-placed Team Brunel with a true wind direction of 135 and are consistently gaining miles on all the fleet, with the exception of Team Vestas Wind in third who gained seven nautical miles on them in the last three-hourly position update.

So how come the Danish boat is making ground on Ian Walker’s men? Simple: they’re crossing towards Fernando from way further east and their angle of 212 degrees gives them a much better line of attack on the mark point than both Abu Dhabi and Brunel who are sailing along at 198 degrees.

The top three boats have all now crossed the Equator; Abu Dhabi around 2100 UTC last night, followed by Brunel an hour later and then Vestas at 0132. Dongfeng Race Team will follow suit at 0830 UTC with the rest of the fleet lagging behind and likely to pass through at around 1830 UTC this evening.

Although Chris Nicholson’s crew on Team Vestas Wind are now the quickest in the fleet, at some 75 nautical miles adrift of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing they’re not going to be speedy enough to reach Fernando before the two leaders.

So why are they going to Fernando in the first place? Well, race organisers have decreed it, with the reasoning that they want the fleet to steer well clear of the St Helena High which guards the more direct route from the Doldrums to Cape Town.

The St Helena High route may be the shortest run to Cape Town from the Doldrums but it’s certainly not the quickest to our first leg destination with the fleet likely to lag along at some five knots an hour in the thick of it.

Instead, they’ll be rounding Fernando before taking an angle of 40 degrees and doing their best to reach the Roaring 40s just as soon as they can.

After that, hold on to your hats because the fleet will be slingshot by the Roaring 40s at 25 knots plus all the way through to Cape Town.

Final point for this log: the weather, which has been hot enough to fry an egg above deck over the past few days, will be turning distinctly cooler over the next week or so.

The guys and women will be swiftly donning their full weather kit and conditions down below will be distinctly steamed up with condensation. That’s the fastest temperature change we’ll see in the entire race.

At least, they have all escaped the Doldrums. The bad news is that they'll have to navigate through it three more times before the race is over.

Weather prognosis: By Saturday morning, there will be sprawling high pressure from 36-38s/46-50w to 26-28s/26-30w to a big, 1032mb high pressure cell, south of Cape Town, near 42-45s/16-20e. Sunday morning will see high pressure consolidating into the middle of the South Atlantic, near 33-35s/34-38w to 26-28s/20-24w to 31-33s/0-4e. 

Latest position report: 1700 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Wind Speed: 18-21 knots
Spread of Fleet: 130 miles
Boat speed: 12-15 knots
Wind direction: Average 150º

As the first of the fleet closes in on the Equator, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing is still in the lead.

But it's close - and Team Brunel are not giving up the chase easily. At the moment, Bouwe Bekking's boat sits just 13nm behind their Emirati rivals.

The pair remain the most westerly positioned boats, and on the other side of the fleet, Team Vestas Wind is still the most easterly.

Behind them, MAPFRE, Team Alvimedica, Dongfeng Race Team and Team SCA have all successfully exited the Doldrums, and are forging forward at an average rate of 12 knots.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing will be the first boat to cross the Equator. They're only 60nm away from the invisible line at the moment - and should reach the next waypoint, Fernando de Noronha, as early as tomorrow evening. 

Latest position report: 0500 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Spread of fleet: 185 nautical miles
Wind speed: 5-10 knots
Wind direction: Average 160º

Three boats have officially left the Doldrums: Abu Dhabi and Team Brunel to the west, and Team Vestas Wind to the east.

The others, well – they still have a couple of tropical clouds, lulls and squalls to deal with before they actually catch the southeast trades. At the back of the fleet, the all-female Team SCA are still stuck in 5 knots of wind.

In the lead, the Emirati boat skippered by Ian Walker is enjoying 15 knots of breeze. They are at 3º North, 450 miles from the Fernando de Noronha mark and 193 miles from the Equator with about 16 hours to sail to the crossing.

The fleet spread is 148 miles from Vestas in the east to Abu Dhabi to the west. The Danish boat is sailing faster with a slightly better angle – Abu Dhabi are sailing at 11 knots, and Vestas at 13 knots.

The leading trio is beating on port, fully stacked and eating the miles up. They should expect the wind to continue to build and shift back and forth a little but not change that much from this direction.

We call that point and shoot racing. 

Latest position report: 1700 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Spread of fleet: 170 nautical miles
Wind speed: 3-9 knots
Boat speed: 6-10 knots

“These Doldrums weren’t too aggressive,” said race meteorologist Gonzalo Infante this morning.

Yet, the fleet will be pretty relieved to finally leave the International Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). It should officially be the case by tomorrow morning.

Abu Dhabi and Brunel will be the first ones to exit the Doldrums, having found the narrowest passage to the west. The Dutch boat is only seven miles behind Abu Dhabi.

Team Vestas Wind are third, 80 miles away from the leader. Chris Nicholson and his guys picked the east side of the route, and will leave the Doldrums in third position.

Having chosen the middle, Dongfeng, Team Alvimedica, MAPFRE and Team SCA won’t have it so easy – they are likely to spend more time in there.

But once they are out, a nice and long downwind sail to Fernando de Noronha awaits, in the southeast trade winds. 

Latest position report: 0500 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Spread of fleet: 170 nm
Wind Speed: Different across the fleet 6 knots down to nothing
Wind Direction: Average 60º

So, maybe west was best after all... at least it was for Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Team Brunel, who stuck together (just 45nm apart in fact), as they took the western approach into the Doldrums.

It was a choice made way back even before the Cape Verde Islands, and one that Ian Walker was very confident would give his boat a clear run through a notoriously unpredictable area. The Dutch team currently sit around 10nm behind the Emiratis, and both are going at the same speed - 7 knots, headed at 170°, with a wind direction 60°.

Over on the other side of the fleet, Team Vestas Wind has also broken through the worst of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, and interestingly find themselves in almost identical conditions to those 170nm the other side of the pack, although skipper Chris Nicholson would admit that they've had a far more difficult time of it.

The advantage to the blue boat is that they now have a better angle for the approach to the next waypoint, Fernando de Noronha, and that could see them take miles out of the two leaders - when reaching in marginal wind strength, a higher angle to the wind will result in faster boat speed.

It's hard going for the rest of the teams back in the cheap seats though. MAPFRE, Team Alvimedica, Team SCA and to a lesser extent Dongfeng Race Team are currently sailing in just one knot of wind - so unless they get some lucky cloud action, they could take most of the day just to get off Mother Nature's naughty step.

On Alvimedica, Onboard Reporter Amory Ross writes, "so again we drift in darkness without a ripple on the water - sails aimlessly smacking against”.

It's known as 'the Full English', 0.00 knots of wind (three fried eggs), but it doesn't taste quite so nice when you're presented with a big plate of it.

For the front three, attentions turn to sailing fast down to the Equator crossing. For the rest of the pack, well, they'd just like to sail. 

Latest position report: 1700 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Spread of fleet: 165 nm
Highest wind speed: 11.75 knots (Brunel)
Fastest current boat speed: 10 knots (Brunel)

For all of the big build up to the Doldrums, the fleet seems to have tackled the notoriously tricky convergence zone pretty well. 

Indeed, the only two teams who have really struggled over the last day have been MAPFRE and Team Vestas Wind, who took the most easterly route of all the boats. At the time of writing, Vestas have picked up to around 5 knots and MAPFRE is currently at 2 knots.

Of the three who chose to sail centrally - Dongfeng, Alvimedica and Team SCA - the Chinese boat finds itself in a favourable position as it has maintained a westerly curve through the Doldrums.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing currently sits in the lead, sailing at 8 knots, with 9 knots of wind speed - but Team Brunel is hot on their heels, and going faster, too. Could the pair pull away from the pack?

What's interesting is that teams are waiting for the six-hour position reports before making pretty instantaneous decisions on their next move. Within minutes of receiving the last update, Team Brunel, Dongfeng and MAPFRE all tacked.

The fleet is set to exit the Doldrums some time tonight - roughly 10-15 hours from now - and having overcome a big hurdle with aplomb, will then turn attentions to the Fernando de Noronha waypoint. 

Latest position report: 0430 UTC

Leader: Team Brunel
Spread of fleet: 136 nm
Wind speed: 9 knots
Wind direction: Average 100º but swinging between 072º 130º
Distance to the Fernando de Noronha waypoint: 820 nm
Heading to the waypoint: 197º

That’s it. The fleet is entering the International Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The Doldrums.

It is what it says on the tin. Convergence means a meeting of many things. A place of confusion as the Northern and Southern hemispheres come together.

As the fleet are pulled south (SSW), the tracker looks more like raindrops dripping down a window pain then a data bank of directions.

Rain will be the theme of the next 24 hours, tropical rain.

And the big question is east or west. Team Vestas Wind and MAPFRE are to the east. Dongfeng Race Team, Team Alvimedica and Team SCA, who are catching up from behind, are in the middle. Team Brunel and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing are to the west.

It’s too early to know who the winner is, but the west is looking good right now. At 0545 UTC, Brunel had a boat speed of 10 knots and Vestas, one knot.

But this is all changing as we speak so don’t be surprised if it changes. As Vestas’ navigator Wouter Verbraak says – “the ITCZ can be fun but tricky…” 

Latest position report: 1700 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Spread of Fleet: 100 miles
Wind Speed: 10-15 knots
Wind Direction: East - Northeast
Boat speed: 13-15 knots

As the fleet heads south and approaches the doldrums, it has spread horizantally, with a spread distance of 100 miles.

For the last 5 hours, it's been downwind trade wind sailing - giving the sailors chance to think about how they are going to tackle the notoriously tricky doldrums over the next 24 hours or so.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing is currently leading the fleet, but Team Brunel is close behind, just 2nm in fact - and pushing the Emirati boat.

Team SCA currently sits 62nm behind Ian Walker's boat.

The fleet has now sailed a third of the way to Cape Town. 

Latest position report: 0430 UTC

Leader: Dongfeng Race Team
Spread of fleet: 85 nautical miles
Wind speed: 13-11 knots 
Sea state: moderate
Boat speed: 15-12 knots

The fleet has been split by the Cape Verde Islands with three going south and four north.

Leaders Dongfeng Race Team opted for the southern route, in the gap between the Windward and Leeward Islands. The Chinese boat was chased by MAPFRE and Team Vestas Wind with the Spanish crew just ahead of their Danish rivals.

The four-boat northern charge was led by Abu Dhabi Ocean Race, pushed by Team Brunel, with Team Alvimedica and Team SCA trying to close the gap behind them.

The boats going through the Windward/Leeward gap would benefit from a funneling effect as the wind compressed and accelerated between the islands.

However, the payback came from the wind shadow left by such tall lumps of rocky outpost. Team Alvimedica navigator Will Oxley estimated the effect to last as much as 100 nautical miles beyond the obstruction.

The fleet now are meshing back together, Dongfeng from the east and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing from the north.

The early advantage that the Chinese took is being eaten away by the western group which has five knots more wind and a better angle. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing has a speed over the ground of 15 knots while Dongfeng is recording only 12 knots.

So in a few hours, and if the situation doesn’t change, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing should regain the lead.

Next obstacle to overcome: The Doldrums. 

Latest position report: 1545 UTC

Leader: Dongfeng Race Team
Wind speed: 20 knots 
Sea state: Moderate
Boat speed: Average of 20 knots

The teams have now passed the islands, with Dongfeng Race Team still in first place.

At 0300 UTC the fleet was approaching the island, and 12 hours later they are through to the other side.

A split in the fleet saw Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Team Brunel, Team SCA and Team Alvimedica head north, Team Vestas Wind and MAPFRE go through the centre of the islands, and Dongfeng go south, between the east and central islands.

The teams who opted to take the north route are now heading west, and the two who went through the centre are now going south. They are expected to jibe soon. 

The focus now turns to the notoriously tricky Doldrums, which the teams must pass to reach the Fernando de Noronha way point before heading south east towards Cape Town. 

Latest position report: 0530 UTC

Leader: Dongfeng Race Team
Spread of fleet: 91 nautical miles
Wind speed: 18 knots 
Sea state: moderate
Boat speed: 19 knots

The fleet has finally left the West African Coast. They are now in the trade winds, making the westerly course across the Atlantic Ocean to Fernando.

They willl find the Cape Verde Islands in the way and that will cause some issues of navigation.

Ten hours ago at 1400 UTC on Saturday, leaders Dongfeng Race Team to the south and Abu Dhabi Ocean Race to the north were 250nm from the Cape Verde Islands.

This is when they needed to make the call: below or through the middle of the islands. It was not clear which was the best option.

Ian Walker on board Abu Dhabi chose to sail above the most northern island of Santo Antao with a wind of 020º, a right hand shift across them.

Dongfeng found their option far simpler, because the wind was freeing them through the gap between the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands.

The wind continues to free them and go left at 353º as they approach the gap.

The only issue now facing Dongfeng is the wind shadow from the island above them. If the shadowing effect does not decrease the wind, then they will make a big gain of approximately 20 to 30 nautical miles in a very short time.

The rest of the fleet will be watching Dongfeng's progress intensely. 

Latest position report: 1550 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Spread of fleet: 71 nautical miles
Wind speed: 20 knots 
Sea state: moderate, with big Atlantic swell
Boat speed: 19-22 knots

The trade winds have arrived! The seven boats have finally gybed away from the African desert, heading southwest in 20+ knots of northeasterlies.

The Abu Dhabi guys are in the lead after Dongfeng broke their rudder overnight, dropping them into second. Team Vestas Wind are third, MAPFRE, fourth, Team Brunel, fifth, but they caught a piece of rubber in their keel.

Team Alvimedica are sixth and Team SCA, last – they ran into a fishing net last night.

“These are the sailing days you will remember forever,” wrote Amory Ross on Alvimedica. “Beautiful downwind VMG running at 24 knots in wind and water that only continue to warm. It’s sailing perfection.”

The fleet is gradually spreading over the Atlantic and it’s all about catching the right weather window now. They are making up the miles to the Cape Verde Islands, 200 nm in the southwest.

Then they will head towards the Equator, where the dreaded Doldrums await.

Latest position report: 0430 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Spread of fleet: 58 nautical miles
Wind speed: 20 knots
Wind direction: north-northeast (010º)

Breaking News: Dongfeng Race Team have hit a unidentified object, have broken their rudder and swapped it out. They lost the lead, but they are now back in the game. The Chinese boat is already sailing at 20 knots again. Read Onboard Reporter Yann Riou’s report here.

The fleet continues to gybe south down the West African Coast past small fishing villages and land marks.

MAPFRE has been going the closest to the shore. Since 1800 UTC they gybed in, sometimes getting at close as 0.5 nm to the beach.

Abu Dhabi are now leading but they also reported narrowly missed a net yesterday afternoon. The advantage was it was light so they could take avoiding action.

Other boats to report catching something on their keel are Brunel and Team SCA.

The Dutch boat even had to send a swimmer into the water and dive down to get a strip of rubber from their keel.

Team SCA also showed an irregular track and reported running into a fishing net. This did not help their course and lost more ground to the fleet.

The fleet may not gybe back into the land again as the land curves back in to the east, south of Cape Blanc on the Noudhbou coast.

Latest position report 1730 UTC

Leader: Dongfeng Race Team

Spread of fleet: 36 nautical miles

Wind speed: 13-21 knots

Wind direction: north-northeast

Boat speed: 12-19 knots

At 0700 UTC, Team SCA gybed towards the coast of the Western Sahara. The rest of the fleet followed – but a couple of hours later.

And that little, subtle time difference explains tonight’s split. Led by Dongfeng, the first six boats are within 11 miles of each other while Team SCA are now 36 miles at the back of the fleet.

So - what’s next for them?

Yesterday, Dongfeng held their lead overnight after heading offshore. But the boats closer to the African coast are now in 20 knots of northerly wind – that’s a good acceleration compared to the lighter sea breeze of the past days.

In these changing wind conditions, will the teams stay close to the shore tonight, or sail away from it?

Latest position report 0500 UTC

Leader: Dongfeng Race Team
Spread of fleet: 25.8 nautical miles
Wind speed: 11 knots
Wind direction: northeast
Boat speed: 14 knots

The fleet continues to be closely bunched, sailing as close to the West African coast as possible with Dongfeng Race Team still retaining the overnight lead.

All seven boats were afraid to push out west into the open Atlantic until a more solid wind materializes.

The fleet has been gybing a lot with more place changes then ever before at this stage of the Volvo Ocean Race.

This is intense inshore racing, gybe for gybe with your opposition breathing down your neck 24/7.

Dongfeng made a charge on the lead yesterday by crossing the fleet in more breeze and has maintained that advantage.

The wind average wind has been about 11 knots so giving the teams a chance to dry out.

Dongfeng and SCA are now keeping straight on sailing off the coast in comparison to yesterdays sailing.

At one stage, MAPFRE received a visit from the Spanish army who were doing manoeuvres in the region and a rib with a national flag motored out offshore to cheer on Iker Martínez’s men.

Latest position report 1540 UTC

Leader: Dongfeng Race Team
Spread of fleet: 23 nautical miles
Wind speed: 17 knots
Wind direction: northeast
Boat speed: 14 knots

Coastal racing at its best – that’s what it is. The boats are now sailing downwind along the Western Sahara, the Canaries in their northwest, and the weak trade winds are progressively strengthening.

After conceding the lead to Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing overnight, the Dongfeng guys took an option early this morning, sailing outside and away from the coast. Thanks to a local effect, they gained some miles and crossed back in first position*.

At the back of the fleet, Team Vestas Wind did a similar move. They got lifted off the shore, and caught up with their competitors.

Tempted by the success of these options, Team Brunel and Team SCA sailed away from the coast too.

A period of intense gybing followed, and the land really came into play.

What’s next? The next milestone is the Cape Verde Islands – some 800 miles to the south. Will they stay hugging the coast, or go through the middle or to the west of the islands?

The decision of heading west to finally sail towards the waypoint Fernando de Noronha, off the Brazilian coast, will be key. The navigators won’t make that call until there is a good pressure established, with clear trade winds to sail with.

Ah, and a Spanish warship sent a rib out to pay a visit to Abu Dhabi and MAPFRE, only an hour ago…

* A glitch of the tracker showed Dongfeng heading north earlier today – it was only an computing issue. 

Latest position update 0510 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Spread of fleet: 10 nautical miles
Wind speed: 8 knots

After five days of racing, all seven boats are still capable of taking the lead with the gap between first and last still only six nautical miles. With the new one-design Volvo Ocean 65, off shore sailing has a new meaning.

Around 1000 UTC on Wednesday, the fleet gybed south east of Lanzarote. Dongfeng were in the lead at that time with an average speed of 10 knots, similar to the rest of the boats. 

ADOR, the boat positioned most westerly within the fleet, took the lead one hour after gybing around 0100 UTC.

Dongfeng were following their steps closely, just 0.6 miles behind in the latest report. Team SCA and Team Brunel were neck and neck in the battle for third. Alvimedica was being chased by MAPFE, only 0.7nm behind.

The wind at that time was coming from 10 degrees north but as the night went on it started to shift slightly from the north-east.

Still the light breeze from the coast of Africa was pushing the boats on their way south very slowly and will continue to do so until they take the shift of trade winds that will propel them west across the Atlantic.

During the night, boat speeds have remained around 10knots. The boats are now south of Fuerteventura. In a few hours they will leave the Canaries Islands behind.

Latest position update 1724 UTC

Leader: Dongfeng Race Team
Spread of fleet: 9 nautical miles
Wind speed: 17 knots

Let’s rewind a bit. The fleet passed Agadir this morning at 0600 UTC. The wind blew from the north-northeast until 0900 UTC, pushing the fleet away from the coastline, costing them a minimum of four gibes.

From 0900 UTC to 1200 UTC the wind shifted to the north, pushing the fleet back to the shore again.

A final shift to the northeast later on helped the fleet as they followed the natural curve of the African coast.

Leading the pack, Dongfeng and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing are now 60 nm north of the Canary Islands. Team Brunel has managed to catch up with the leading group, and is 0.3 nm from the Chinese boat. Team SCA, just behind, is 1.4 nm away from them.

They are all likely to sail between the Canary Islands and the African coast.

Latest position report at 0500 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Spread of fleet: 15 miles 
Wind speed: 6 knots
Boat speed: 8-10 knots

Team Vestas Wind gambled – and lost big time – during a night of movement and a lead change in the fleet.

The boats had all been sailing very close to the African coast to pick up the prevalent breeze there and at one stage Team SCA went as close at 0.5 miles from the shores of Morocco.

Then the Danish boat decided to make a bold move, sailing west in the opposite direction to the fleet. It was the wrong decision but it took Team Vestas Wind longer than the rest of the fleet to realise it.

At 0500 UTC, Team Vestas Wind were in last position, some 15 nautical miles from the leader and nine miles from the their closest rivals, Team Brunel, in sixth position.

Meanwhile, up ahead, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing regained the lead ahead of Team Alvimedica with Dongfeng Race Team hot on their heels at 0500 UTC.

The 15 nautical miles separating first and last was the biggest gap since the start of the race.

The forecast does not seem to be improving in terms of wind speed to push the boats on their way with light breeze expected for the next few hours.

Sailing away from the coast is not an option where the wind has dropped away altogether. If the conditions continue, the boats will not pass through the Canary Islands until tomorrow afternoon local time.

Now the big question is which side of the Canaries will they take: west or east. If the forecast stays like this, they will probably go east, the channel between the islands and the African coast.

Mark Chisnell reports on the opening days of the first leg, as Team SCA’s navigator, Libby Greenhalgh puts the first chalk on the board for the Navigator’s Prize, with a nice move to the north through the Gibraltar Straits to take the lead - don't miss his B&G blog here.

Latest position report at 1745 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Spread of fleet: 9 miles (east to west)
Wind speed: 4 to 8 knots
Boat speed: 4 to 9 knots

After a night of fast sailing in over 30 knots of wind, the fleet got closer to the African coast at around 0700 UTC and the wind finally began to drop.

At this point, the boats were presented with two route options: the inside of the coast, or the outside of the coast.

It was at midday when the first cross happened - Team Alvimedica tacking to consolidate the lead, and crossing MAPFRE, Team SCA, Dongfeng Race Team and Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.

At first, this looked like the best option to take, but Charlie Enright's boat soon ran into a wind transition, and this slowed their progress somewhat. The fleet is now positioned around 6 miles away from the coast of Essaouira, Morocco, and is taking advantage of the increased wind closer to land.

The precious trade winds are located around 100 miles south of the fleet, but reaching them might well be slow going, as there is not a lot of wind at the moment.

Tonight could well be vital as the team that reaches those winds first will have a ticket to the fast lane - watch this space.

Latest position report at 0420 UTC

Leader: Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing
Spread of fleet: 10.5 nautical miles
Wind speed: 22 knots
Boat speed: 17 to 19 knots

The Volvo Ocean Race fleet was still bunched within 10.5 nautical miles from first to last all night after winds building to 22 knots ensured it was an uncomfortable ride for all.

At 0420 UTC, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing still retained a sliver-thin 2.1 mile lead over MAPFRE with Team SCA in third but Team Vestas Wind in seventh spot were still very much in touch.

At one stage around 0100, the Spanish boat cut Abu Dhabi’s lead to 0.5 miles but could not grab the lead themselves as the wind picked up from 18 knots to 22 and increased average boat speed in the fleet to around 17-19 knots.

According to Team Alvimedica’s onboard reporter Amory Ross, the sea state was ‘abominable’. Data showed the waves were certainly not huge, around 0.3 metres, but coming in rapid succession which made sailing very choppy and uncomfortable.

The boats are now heading south towards the Canary Islands. They are now at the same latitude of Casablanca, Morocco.

Latest position report at 1554 UTC

Leader: Team Vestas Wind
Spread of fleet: 1 nautical mile
Wind speed: 10 knots
Boat speed: 11 to 13 knots

After passing Gibraltar, the entire fleet went straight to the west. Why?

Because trade winds are missing. A low pressure in the North Atlantic pushes them further south and the teams have to sail upwind for one or two more days before picking them up. In the meantime, they need to get the best possible wind.

That starts with a cold front, which is coming from the southwest. A front means more wind. There is a wind shift on its other side, where it blows from the northwest instead of the southwest, and it’s a more favourable wind angle to sail to Cape Town.

Two options to reach that front, cross it and make the most of the northwesterlies: staying north, and getting there earlier, but taking the risk to stay longer in a light wind area; or heading south to avoid the light airs. The north looks good right now, but the front could move. Whatever the sailors chose to do, they should all converge towards the Canary Islands.

Team SCA are in the most northern position, followed by Dongfeng and MAPFRE. Team Vestas Wind are all the way south. Team Brunel and Team Alvimedica are sailing consertively, in the middle.

Passing times through the Strait of Gibraltar

Team SCA 0540 UTC
Team Vestas Wind 0635 UTC
Team Alvimedica 0655 UTC
Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing 0657 UTC
Dongfeng Race Team 0716 UTC
Team Brunel 0718 UTC
MAPFRE 0724 UTC

Latest position report: 0515 UTC

Leader: Team SCA
Spread of fleet: 10 nautical miles

Leading boat passing Tarifa, about to leave the Mediterranean Sea
Boat speed: 8 knots
True wind speed: 10 knots
Sea state: calm

A bold option to the north during the night, and a positive result for Team SCA. The all-female team is crossing the Strait of Gibraltar in the lead right now.

And it’s a good lead too: they are 4 nm ahead of Team Vestas Wind, second.

So how did this happen? At 2050 UTC, Team SCA was one of the first five boats, sailing in the middle of the fleet. That’s when they chose to tack north and head closer to the coast to avoid the strong currents in the middle of the Strait.

One hour later, they were leading, 2 nm ahead of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. Not a big gap, yet an important one, as SCA really was the only boat to head in that direction. All the six other boats kept sailing southwest towards the middle of the Strait. The entire fleet had the same 13 to 14 knots of wind.

At 0040 UTC, Team SCA’s option seemed to pay off for good. The distance to the second boat, MAPFRE, was 4,5 nm. The girls passed Gibraltar while the rest of fleel sailed closer to Morocco and the Spanish city of Ceuta, in Africa.

But the wind started to decrease – 11-12 knots of breeze. And 20 minutes later, the 3-knot current in the Strait was against Team SCA. They stopped. No more breeze either. The boat started to go backwards… A frustrating position.

Their competitors were doing 7 knots and were starting to catch up.

Luckily, Team SCA picked some breeze soon and started to move forward again – only after a painful 30-minute wait.

At 0500 UTC, Team SCA was still in first position, 4 nm ahead of Team Vestas Wind. Team Alvimedica is third, Team Brunel fourth, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing fifth, MAPFRE sixth and Dongfeng seventh.

Will SCA’s option give the magenta boat an edge in the Atlantic Ocean? Will they pick up the trade winds first and speed up in the lead? Time will tell.

Latest position report: 1730 UTC

Leader: Team Alvimedica
Spread of fleet: 2 nautical miles
60 nm to the Strait of Gibraltar

Team Vestas Wind and MAPFRE led the game until midday, reaching Cabo de Gata in first place. At around 1200 local time the boats entered the Alboran Sea and the wind dropped.

The teams worked on their tactics in these tricky conditions, both along the coast and further offshore.

At 1530 UTC MAPFRE and Dongfeng split from the fleet, taking an option away from the land, with a maximum lateral split of 5 nm. The others are sticking north for now, closer to the Andalusian coast.

The wind is expected to strengthen from the west as the boat leave the Alboran Sea. They should cross the Strait of Gibraltar tonight. Whoever picks the Atlantic (trade) winds first will then gain some precious boat speed.

Latest position report: 0702 UTC

Leader: Team Vestas Wind
Spread of fleet: 11 nautical miles

Team Vestas Wind emerged as narrow leaders when daylight broke on the Mediterranean after the first night of Leg 1 but the fleet were hot on their heels after a night of rain and wind changes.

The team’s Onboard Reporter Brian Carlin summed up how things were progressing at the head of the fleet in his night log.

“We keep battling it out for the lead with MAPFRE right now,” he reports. “Team Brunel is out on the wings, the night will be long. A change in wind has already been causing some tactical moves within the fleet.

“Just after dark set in, a big left hand swing developed within minutes putting an all-hands-on-deck scenario for the crew. I suspect this to continue throughout the night.”

By 0700 UTC with wind speed around 10 knots, the Danish boat was still just two nautical miles clear of MAPFRE, with Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing a mile adrift of them and Dongfeng bringing up the rear but still very much in touch.

In all, three boats – MAPFRE, Abu Dhabi and Team Vestas Wind – held the lead during the course of the night before a move by the Danish boat to head to the coast in the opposite direction to the rest of the fleet paid dividends at around 0300.

Latest position report: 1609 UTC

Leader: MAPFRE. 
otal spread of the fleet: 4 nautical miles. 
Bearing: south. 
Route: straight. 
Forecast for the night: up to 25 knots with rain showers.

The seven boats are now north of Cartagena, some 150 nm from their next turning point, Cabo de Gata. The Spanish boat is in the lead, 2 nm ahead of Team Brunel, 3 nm ahead of Team Alvimedica, Team Vestas Wind, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Dongfeng. Team SCA are just behind.

At this stage, it’s all about sailing fast on port tack, minimising manoeuvres, saving energy for the Strait of Gibraltar and the entry into the Atlantic Ocean.

But let’s rewind back a little. Racing started at 1200 UTC with one hour of inshore racing in 10 knots of easterly breeze right in front of Alicante. Helmsmen put on their game face, bowmen ran back and forth to change sails, trimmers grinded like mad men. Hundreds of spectator boats cheered for their favourites, making the atmosphere really warm... and the sea really choppy.

Then the fleet rounded the last inshore mark just outside the harbour. Team Brunel led the charge south, a boat length only ahead of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. MAPFRE was following them closely too. The seven teams stacked the sails, gathered in the cockpit and waved goodbyes to the boats nearby, packed with their friends and families.

A couple of hours later, the things have changed already, and it’s a different boat leading. It looks like it’s going to be a long 6,487 nm to Cape Town…