#VOR - More than 36 hours into Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 and the fleet is making slow but steady progress east from Itajaí in Brazil.
Indeed, as of 7.40am this morning (Tuesday 21 April) only a little over three nautical miles separated the first-place Team Alvimedica from the back-marking Team Brunel, winners of Sunday's in-port race.
At present the six racing boats are almost due south of Cabo Frio, near Rio de Janeiro.
And the fleet will continue sailing east into the Atlantic for some time till they can catch the right winds for the swing northwards then northwest towards the Caribbean.
According to race meteorologist Gonzalo Infante, there are good offshore options for the teams to consider on this 5,000-nautical-mile coastal leg towards Newport in Rhode Island, but a number of obstacles, such as a return to the Doldrums. lie in wait.
In the meantime – as the boats eek out as much power from their sails as they can, finally reaching a steady 10 knots over the first night and currently averaging 12 knots across the fleet – those challenges will feel like a long way off yet.
