#VOR - It's all change in the Volvo Ocean Race this morning (Sunday 26 April) as the pack converges for the buzz past Recife.
The latest watch log from Volvo Ocean Race control put Team Alvimedica still in the lead – but only just.
And as this morning's tracker shows, their gamble to break ahead has not paid off, as they trail behind the bulk of the fleet in fifth position.
Skipper Charlie Enright and his crew were the first to take a chance on Friday (24 April) when they split some 50 nautical miles west of the rest of the fleet.
What's more, the middle-of-the-pack battle between Team Brunel, Team SCA and MAPFRE got even hotter, with less than a third of a nautical mile between their boats.
That excitement calmed down somewhat yesterday (Saturday 26 April) as the yachts locked into their big push north.
With conditions stabilised, and winds averaging 11 knots meaning passing opportunities were minimal for the pack, sailing was expected to be plain till this morning – when the wind was predicted to lift the fleet around Recife.
Alvimedica were drawn back towards the pack, too, and with their lead down to just 2.5 nautical miles as of yesterday evening, today's racing was set to be very interesting.
The current standings prove that: Dongfeng Race Team have claimed the lead some 5.7 nautical miles clear of Team Brunel, who themselves have broken away from their skirmish with MAPFRE and Team SCA, as an average of 2 nautical miles separates their boats.
Alvimedica will be left ruing Friday's decision as they lie some six nautical miles behind the all-women boat, while Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing remain in last place.
But fewer than 20 nautical miles separate their back-marking boat from the leader, so more change is almost certainly in the offing.
