The dying easterly wind was slowly replaced by a weak westerly sea breeze, creating tricky and patchy conditions as the fleet gybed its way off the Gothenburg start line of the final leg of the VOR earlier today.

Team ASSA ABLOY however, experienced near disaster when they almost collided with a spectator boat while gybing in an attempt gain clear air. But although they initially made up some distance on the fleet they were later dogged by wind holes and dropped back to sixth. The current leader, albeit close, is Team SEB with Tyco in second and News Corp third. Illbruck, the initial race leader is down in fourth, two miles ahead of djuice dragons.

The fleet has now split in two groups with Tyco, SEB, News Corp in the west and illbruck, ASSA ABLOY, djuice, Amer Sports One and Amer Sports Too in the east. The navigators on the yachts have to decide on the side they want to leave the island of Anholt, now 30 miles to the south of the current positions. If the westerly breeze stays for the next couple of hours, the westerly route is shorter towards the entrance into the Great Belt. If the forecast easterlies set in, the easterly fleet will pick it up first and could gain a big advantage. As the island of Anholt is very flat, the wind shouldn’t change too much.

Position Report, Day 1, 1606 GMT

1 TSEB

2 TYCO (1 mile from leader)

3 NEWS (1 mile from leader)

4 ILBK (1 mile from leader)

5 DJCE (3 miles from leader)

6 AART (3 miles from leader)

7 AONE (3 miles from leader)

8 ATOO (4 miles from leader)