50o55S 129o27E

Some days it is hard to believe just how far we are from anywhere; the last 24 hours have seen us surrounded by a heavy, dripping-cold mist that makes it hard to see further than a hundred yards in front of the boat. If we close our eyes and think hard enough we could convince ourselves that we are in the English Channel not at the bottom of the world.

We have spent the last few hours tracking north to try to cover ourselves in a situation which might be described as skating on very thin ice. We are right on the edge of an area of very light winds and feel slightly edgy being the southerly boat where if things do not going our way we could lose substantial miles. For now, however, we seem to be getting away with it and we maintain our second-place position. If we manage to stay in the top three by the time we pass the western tip of Australia we are going to celebrate our goal-two success with a big lump of real cheese (we know how to party here on BP!).

Meanwhile the boys on Cop's watch have been engaging in a bit of male bonding by the mast during a survival-suit inflation test. They seem to do the trick but whether or not it is a sight for sore eyes for the three girls on board is quite another matter. We are not saying anything!

Naomi Cudmore