47 09 S 63 13 E

These are just some of the figures that define Day 26 of Leg Four:

19,401 (miles sailed since Portsmouth)
36 (the number of times we will have to get out of bed before the finish of this leg)
3 (the maximum number of showers enjoyed by each crew member in the last month),
4,891 (miles since the last pint),
915,840 (approximate number of waves crossed since Portsmouth),
2,147 (miles to the next pint),
190,800 (times that the heads have been pumped on the race so far),
and 15 (the number of mouthfuls it takes Cop to consume a cheesecake intended to serve 9).

And so our progress across the big blue is measured - the race involves a great deal of number-crunching as any seasoned sailor will tell you, and Cop's incredible capacity for fuel is no exception. Indeed, it is directly related to our performance!

Of course, another figure for the day is 9 (the number of Challenge yachts behind us). We would far rather this were 11, but according to our calculations, if everyone finished in their current positions, we would lie in first overall - which is not half bad. But the racing on this Global Challenge has been closer than ever before and no doubt final positions - quite possibly even podium places - will be decided on the last leg. So BP Explorer really could do with a few points extra in the bag and a leg win.

This morning's unpromising graveyard-hours start of cold drizzle and a moonless sky gave way, grudgingly, to a lovely dawn of muted gold, green and turquoise - and there is certainly a great deal more colour in our world than we have enjoyed over the past few weeks. Unfortunately, however, today's pretty heavens also presaged very light winds, so we can only pray that Spirit of Sark and Imagine It. Done. are suffering the same fate right now. After our mysterious loss of form which culminated in our blind backwards-sailing kelp attack, we seem capable of holding our own once again and are back in that familiar territory of a mile gained here, a mile lost there. So we keep plugging away, eyes glued to the fickle weather and the oh-so-slowly diminishing distance to waypoint. At least for us the slogan is true - 'We ARE getting there!'

Naomi Cudmore