After a night of extremely close racing, there’s now only nine miles separating the leading two VOR boats as they head for the Sydney Opera House finish line. With just 270 miles to go, illbruck still leads but with SEB close behind, it looks like it will be another close finish.

‘We just have to wait for the corner of Gabo Island and see if we can find a passing land,’ said Gunna Krantz onboard SEB. With the possible compression of the fleet we certainly have to keep an eye out for News Corp and the other

However, the last 48 hours haven’t been all plain sailing for SEB who found herself wallowing in water after one of her watertight compartments became flooded. Apparently during a sail change one of the deck hatch covers accidentally opened when a sail was dragged over it. Fortunately it wasn’t too long before it was discovered and the water was bailed out leaving the crew to concentrate on the job in hand. ‘We just have to wait for the corner of Gabo Island and see if we can find a passing land,’ said Gunna Krantz onboard SEB.

Team News Corp look in good shape to finish third for the second leg in the row, as they are 37 miles astern of illbruck and have a 45-mile buffer over fourth placed Amer Sports One.

‘There is a quiet confidence growing that despite nearly sinking [on the first night of the leg] and having to sail through the Southern Ocean with no reliable wind instruments, that we can hang onto this small lead and be first to Sydney,’ said illbruck Kiwi mastman Jamie Gale earlier today.

Illbruck’s current estimated time of arrival is 0400hrs GMT (1500hrs local Sydney time) tomorrow, Tuesday 4 December.

Position Report, Day 23, 0400hrs GMT

1 ILBK

2 TSEB (9 miles from leader)

3 NEWS (37 miles from leader)

4 AONE (82 miles from leader)

5 DJCE (88 miles from leader)

6 AART (103 miles from leader)

7 ATOO (615 miles from leader)