Although race leader Illbruck has closed the distance to the next waypoint to just under 500 miles in 19 knots close reaching conditions, she has lost another five miles to second placed Assa Abloy. The wind has picked up to 20 knots from the east-south-east. Tyco and News Corp are maintaining their positions.

Grant Dalton commented in a radio interview what can be expected for the South Atlantic: “With the weather system developing, things might change slightly in the way to attack the South Atlantic. There is a blocking high in front of us at the moment which should favour the boats coming in behind.” He rates every distance to the leader under 200 miles as insignificant when approaching the complex weather system of the South Atlantic. The leading boats have just less than two days to prepare how to tackle the passage to Cape Town.

In the second group Team SEB has managed to widen the gap by another four miles to djuice, who also lost one mile on the pursuing Amer Sports Too.

Report, Day 21, 1000 GMT

1 ILBK

2 AART

3 NEWS

4 TYCO

5 AONE

6 TSEB

7 DJCE

8 ATOO