53o54S 115o42E

You'd think a big sea was a big sea, a wave a wave but they are all quite different. Today the waves are steep and pointed like the icing on a Christmas cake when you slap a spoon on it to create the jagged peaks. The wind is strong; 30-40 knots, so there are waves on the waves each with white foam that gets blown up and over the top of the crest. As BP Explorer surges through them water lifts onto the foredeck and is then instantly blown into a fine mist. Occasionally a larger wave will come at us from the side and blast freezing water over the trimmer at the shrouds, crew on the rail and the helm. There was a time when if someone shouted 'big wave' we'd look up; we are wiser now and we avoid a face full of southern ocean by ducking and turning our heads away. The strong winds started at about midnight and as they increased the watches changed through the sails before settling on the number 3 yankee, storm staysail and three reefs in the main. For most of the night it was cloudy but then as it started to clear the Southern Lights once again lit up the skies. Unfortunately with the clear skies came the bitter, bitter cold. Once you start to get cold it is difficult to warm up again and the only solution is to go below. We rotate every half hour so there are always four or five crew on deck. With everyone wearing the same yellow foulies and the hoods done up so that only the eyes are visible it is difficult to see who's who so we have our names written on the back of the hoods and our gloves. It doesn't always work and sometimes you'll be chatting away to someone on the rail only to discover it's not who you thought it was at all; a good reason not to talk about another crew member - as if we ever would!

It is no surprise that it's so cold as we are only 700 miles from Antarctica; in fact we are now closer to Antarctica than Australia, which is over 1000 miles away. We are still in first place and as the fleet start to converge on us we are like a fox being pursued by a pack of hounds. VAIO is way south of us and Team Save The Children are south and some 220 miles behind but the rest of the fleet are within 70 miles and with such a long way to go it is no time for complacency. We predict that these winds will last about another 12 hours and then return to 20-25 knots. So far this leg is much less variable than the previous southern ocean leg, which does mean a bit of a break for the sail change teams. It was not unusual to change sails three or four times in a watch on the way to New Zealand but on this one it is more like one every other watch. I for one am less tired and so in good spirits as are the rest of the crew. For lunch we had a rare treat in the form of a lump of cheese each. It ain't the Hilton but these little luxuries make a big difference. I wonder if I'll be able to take a shower in the next three weeks.
John Bass