With just over 200 miles from the leg two waypoint of Eclipse Island, illbruck continues to lead the Volvo Ocean Race with a shoestring advantage of two miles over Assa Abloy, with a further mile in hand over Team SEB.

Estimated time of arrivals to Eclipse are hard to predict due to a high-pressure void that sits between the fleet and Island and has already started to slow their progress.

“The weather forecast is not good for the next 48-72 hrs,” said illbruck watch leader Mark Christensen today.

“First we are catching up to a ridge which is causing the breeze to drop, this ridge turns into a col, which is the windless hole between four systems. We have to cross this to get to Eclipse Island and then cross it back to get into breeze to take us to Sydney,” explained Christensen.

A restart scenario and a new race across the Great Australian Bight could be on the cards.

Good news today from Amer Sports One. Navigator and doctor Roger Nilson announced that he was amazed with sick crewman Keith Kilpatrick’s recovery.

“It’s difficult to believe that only two days ago Keith was very, very sick. Today we discharged him from our on-board intensive care unit. He is still very weak and has not eaten any solid food since last Monday. We might try him on a little soup later today.

Kilpatrick seems to be a resilient character. “He’s fit and tough and determined and he is even talking about finishing the leg to Sydney,” continued Nilson. But putting on his doctor’s hat, he said, “There’s no way that’s going to happen. He might be feeling fine right now with a light following breeze but he might not be so keen on beating into a 40 knot gale through Bass Strait.”

Amer Sports One, to the west of the fleet, has 315 miles to sail to Eclipse while the second Nautor Challenge yacht, Lisa McDonald’s team on Amer Sports Too is 363 miles astern of illbruck.

Position Report, Day 15, 16.00hrs GMT

1 ILBK

2 AART (2 miles behind leader)

3 TSEB (3 miles behind leader)

4 NEWS (4 miles behind leader)

5 DJCE (10 miles behind leader)

6 AONE (110 miles behind leader)

7 ATOO (363 miles behind leader)