49 18 S 133 15 E

Finally, after what seems like an age, the winds have calmed to a manageable 20 knots (on other legs 20 knots would be a lot of wind, here this is calm) and BP Explorer is easing off much like a race horse that has just run a big race.

It's time to check her over and make sure that in the howling winds and rough seas nothing has been damaged or lost. Today we will complete a full safety check from front to back, inside and out. The weather changed at about 9pm GMT and it was time to drop the orange staysail. The number three yankee stayed for another few hours. It had been flying with one hank broken away and it lost another before finally being wrestled to the deck and replaced with the number two. On later inspection another hank needed to be replaced and finally it was bagged until next time.

Both watches were treated to the amazing sight of the Southern lights throughout the evening. The Southern lights is a magical pulsing lightshow that dances across the heavens this far south. The best way I can think to describe it is to imagine a delicate flag of multi-coloured light fluttering across the night sky. At first it appeared from behind a cloud much like the beams from the moon, then as we craned our necks to look directly above us what, at first glance, looked like streaks of cloud appeared and re-appeared eventually and then started changing colours. I believe it is created by solar radiation from the jets of flame that burst from the sun but who needs science, we'll pretend its angels dancing, their spun silver dresses shimmering in the moonbeams. On what was a bitterly cold night it was a most welcome sight and sent us to our bunks lifted.

The changing conditions are something of a worry as we try to get over the top of an area of light winds. Most of the fleet are further north while VAIO and Me To You are south of us trying, no doubt, to duck under the worst of it. We just have to hope that we have got far enough north to avoid the light airs and thus lose valuable miles on boats with better wind. We currently lie in 2nd place behind Me To You and Barclays Adventurer are less than a mile behind but are maybe in a better position further north. The next 24 hours will be tense as we try to maximise boat speed and hope that the rest of the fleet aren't going to steal our place near the front.

John Bass