Dongfeng gybes north whilst in the lead

Black at the pedestal as Dongfeng Race Team gybe © Yann Riou / Dongfeng Race Team

We received this blog from Yann Riou at 0638 UTC when we were still in first position. However the most recent position report shows we have gybed north when the rest of the fleet have continued straight.

Question is: Has Pascal spotted something the rest of the fleet haven't? Or is it a case of 'sailing safe' and allowing the other's to make the mistakes? Only time will tell.

"We have been lucky with the wind, and the others made a mistake": Caudrelier

Since it became clear that the only option was to stay south along the ice limit line, we knew the conditions would help us get back in the game. But we didn't imagine it would allow us to take the lead again!

Last night when we got the positions in I saw a big smile on Pascal's face. The others climbed further north, probably all just covering each other, while we gybed along the exclusion zone line. This morning they came back to our line, but behind us!

"You are at your best when you take decisions for yourself, without worrying about the others": Pascal Bidegorry.

A great deal of satisfaction. Yet it doesn't matter really too much when we see what is in front of us – however we are going to enjoy the moment. So we are making the most of this day of surfing along under the sun, racing hard with our competitors, and above all building up our strength for what comes next. Because it looks serious. Between 24 and 48 hours from now, we're going to take on the tough part of this leg. The wind is going to build and build, hitting its peak at Cape Horn, that looks like will live up to its reputation.

Where the Southern Ocean is concerned Damian Foxall has been there, done that and come back for more. He is a veteran of the race, a tough man and knows how to keep a cool head which has proven important this leg for us. Today he sent us a blog through with enough detail to make you feel like you're an extra crew member onboard, from the comfort of your living room of course!

Getting ready for a 3rd rollercoaster.

Half way into this Southern Ocean leg of the Volvo Ocean race and we are getting back into it, skies are turning grey as the upper cloud moves in and the TWS indicator on the mast starts to climb, as does the boat speed and a subtle unspoken sense of attention on deck.

We have had everything since the start of the race in Auckland 10 days ago, leading the fleet out and for the first day, we lost contact during the first windy rough and dark 2nd night, a baptism of water and spray trying to find the right gears and buttons on a new boat, then with a building downwind breeze over the following days pushing hard but at a level we thought was safe we were surprised by a potentially disastrous Chinese gybe in the middle of the night. With 45 knots of wind the boat slammed into an unplanned gybe and lay flat, rig and sails parallel to the water, keel out and everyone hanging on...

Hard to describe the stress onboard, is everyone there, is anything damaged? Can we start the 'standard recovery process'? 3 hours later incredibly we are back on track, 30..40..50? miles lost...pushed too close to the line....relief though from all onboard, incredibly no damage...apart from moral and the knowledge it will be a long climb back up the leaderboard from the back of the fleet, is it possible?

This my 5th Volvo race, and 9th time into the Southern Ocean and so it is some what easy to maybe take some of this in my stride, the automatic preparations and reactions that you develop in any job come into play, many of them details; how to eat, dress, trim, drive, sleep in any environment that is sometimes brutal. It makes me remember past races and most importantly appreciate what my crew mates on Dongfeng have been living for the last year of preparation and 5 months racing. I'm only a visitor, I have the advantage of fresh energy, easy to laugh and enjoy being with such a great team,

But consider again, the two young Chinese guys especially, great sailors and I really am impressed when you consider this is their FIRST offshore experience, it would be hard to imagine a tougher experience for anyone, apart from taking some young men from homes and sending them of to war.....this is the only parallel I can think of...

But the conditions have let up, sun comes out and as we chase the cyclone Pam across the pacific the seas become amazingly easy and it is easy to forget the rough start,

Schedules of boat positions come on deck, we are getting back into the race. It is time to appreciate where we are, so far from land that the closest person to us is in the space station...and we are really on our own in this amazing place...pilot whales, albatross, petrels playing on the waves and then really in the middle of no where 2 seals floating sleepily a long way from home (or there home is a long way from everywhere else)

It's cold, but still not really! Gloves come out early, and we ask what will the guys wear when it really gets cold. In French we call this the Grand Sud, but for now only the younger brother Petit Sud seems to be here. The boat dries, sleep is gained and bellies (some that were emptied on the cockpit floor on the firsts nights) are filled,

We won't see much of the Grand Sud and its icy bergs as the Ice exclusion keeps us safely North, frustratingly in the lighter winds of my Petit Sud.

But this plays into the hands of the good guys. Dongfeng are back, hugging the ice exclusion zone and in one 24 hour period we are leaders, and back in the driving seat getting ready for the 3rd roller coaster into Cape Horn,

Four days of proper Grand Sud, just to say that we have really been here and done this...and to prove to the young guys that they are now of the class of wooden ships and iron men.

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