Day 20 : 2' 11N 30' 14W

We are constantly reminded on this race that a skipper can lose the race but only a crew can win it. That is to say that he can help us with the tactics and strategy but it's us that have to agree and implement his advice. We can't leave everything to him. It's an almost impossible task.

We are also reminded that Mother Nature has the final say in whether our first drink is a beer or champagne at the end of each leg and ultimately at the end of the race.

I think as a crew we deserve a glass of champagne for effort alone but it would taste so much sweeter if sipped from the podium. After drawing level with VAIO during the night, today we stopped dead in the water and for an agonising 45 minutes we watched as they disappeared over the horizon as we twirled in the swell, at one point heading in the opposite direction. Clouds formed and surrounded us, some containing wind others just rain and one or two an eerie calm that turned the sea to glass and left the sleek racing yacht BP Explorer bobbing like an ice cube in a gin and tonic.

In one six hour period today we covered just 12 miles. We knew the fleet positions would make disappointing reading, it wasn't a question of if we'd lost ground it was how much had we lost. When the positions came in VAIO, Barclays Adventurer and Samsung had obviously benefited from better conditions and their lead over us had increased.

To add to the pain the rest of the fleet gained on us too. Today the lead yacht, Samsung, is some 80 miles in front, a lead that we would be very happy with. It would only take a few days like we've had to befall them to even things up a bit, unfortunately the likelihood of this is less now as we finally leave the Doldrums.

Barclays Adventurer must be even more disappointed, 48 hours ago they were side by side with Samsung when a squall separated them. Instead we'll have to do it the old fashioned way with even more focus and determination. We are digging deep.

The heavy rain did bring some benefits in the form of fresh water showers for the skipper and the watch on deck but the minus is that we now have very few clothes that aren't soaking wet.

Christian Talpo once again manages to make his way into the logs, his macho image now fully restored; he had his picture taken with a nice bird on his arm. It was of course the feathered variety, one of three that had landed on BP Explorer for a rest.

A rest on BP Explorer? - no chance - we're racing.