Bernard Stamm, leader of the Velux 5-Oceans Race, is now over 2,000 miles ahead of second placed Koji Shiraishi on Spirit of Yukoh as they head up the coast of Brazil.

However, as Stamm passes Salvador de Bahia he reported light winds and a taxing time ahead. Commenting from the boat this morning Stamm said: “The wind is dropping, the trade wind will be very slow tomorrow. I’ve passed about 400 miles east of Salvador de Bahia but I could hear the music of the carnival. Here, it is still not very hot but the sun is already very strong. No ships, no dolphins, no waves, no floating containers, I haven’t seen anything yet, since Fremantle, apart from Cape Horn.”

Meanwhile Shiraishi is making the most of the favourable breeze further south he says that It won’t be around for long, commenting: “It has been a long time but we finally have had some following wind? Unfortunately the forecast is showing that this may not last. After this we have our own little ‘Berlin Wall’ ahead of us lying east to west just like the Doldrums. ‘What? Again?’ is the feeling about this forecast. The road I head along recently seems to have had a few obstacles fall across it. I would like to able to get across this as soon as possible. It would be nice to be able to keep hold of this wind and connect directly to the next system.”

The remaining three, Unai Basurko on Pakea, Graham Dalton on A Southern Man-AGD and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston on Saga Insurance are all now round the Horn, 3,000 miles astern, but Knox-Johnston has decided to pull into Ushuaia to carry out vital repairs to his yacht. He hopes to set sail again in 48 hours.