40 04 South 171 36 East

After an exciting but disappointing start for BP Explorer we are now back in the groove and, having nearly lost our rear end in a close encounter with Barclays Adventurer, we are proudly displaying it to the majority of the fleet once more.

It has not been easy though. After fighting our way through from eleventh place at the start to third behind Spirit of Sark we sailed into a pocket of light winds and at 9am this morning the log once again read boat speed - 0.0.

We watched helplessly as the yachts to our left and right surged ahead one by one each reclaiming a place until we were once again nearer to the back than the front. As the winds started to build once more at one point we were forced to point up into the wind to avoid what we thought was a log in the water. As we got closer however, we discovered that it was a seal sun-bathing. The sprightly fellow (he could have been a she of course but we weren't going to stop to find out) continued to follow us playing and frolicking and providing a welcome distraction for the crew on the rail.

Spirit of Sark remained within shouting distance just ahead of us for most of the day but we gradually reduced the gap until we passed them and Cape Farewell at about three o'clock this afternoon. We've been flying the Genoa for the last 24 hours and it has clearly been a day where the helms and trimmers have excelled. A brief moment where foulies were donned to hank on the no 1 Yankee provided some excitement for the foredeck team but the winds never came and it was removed and flaked a little later.

After the wonderful food of New Zealand our freeze dried fare was something of a change but it has been supplemented with some luxuries that this short leg can afford us such as fresh fruit, part-baked bread and wonder of wonders, fresh apple pie and custard.

As the day draws to a close the latest position report shows us in third place and with our sights set on BG Spirit just under three miles ahead and VAIO just under four miles ahead. Confidence is high and we are continuing the fight to first place. BP Explorer looks good on all sides but the bit we like flashing to the rest of the fleet most is our behind.