While Robin Knox-Johnston continues to be plagued by light winds, Kojiro Shiraishi on Spirit of Yukoh, currently leading the fleet in the Velux 5-Ocean Race, is clocking up average speeds of nearly 14kts – 400 miles to the east of Antigua.

According to Shiraishi he’s making the most of the fantastic, consistently windy conditions which he says: “? is a first for this leg. I’m able to make good distances. At this time nothing on the boat is damaged. Water on deck is falling into the sunken cockpit area much like a waterfall?”

He is now just 1,670 miles to the second leg finish line in Norfolk (Virginia) where he’ll join Bernard Stamm who completed the leg last Saturday.

In third place, also making good progress is Unai Basurko on Pakea. Basurko opted for an ‘inshore’ course up the coast of Brazil and has recently passed the islands of Fernando de Noronha – just off the most easterly tip of Brazil. He is now preparing for the Equator crossing which, he says looks as though could be relatively fast commenting: “The wind from the east is getting stronger in this area so the calms maybe will be smaller. I think so, but you never know. I think the weather forecast is looking good for the next few days.”

Graham Dalton on A Southern Man-AGD is over 4,000 miles astern of Shiraishi (the current leader) but is making steady progress and continues to put distance between himself and Knox-Johnston.