Will history repeat itself? Four years ago, the Volvo Ocean Race fleet was in the final stages of leg four. SEB had dismasted and was sailing under jury rig while the rest of the fleet headed north. Illbruck’s lead started to evaporate, at one point they lost 25 per cent of their lead in just six hours. It was set up to be a thrilling finish and after almost 7000 nautical miles of racing, the five leading boats were locked into the tightest of battles as fickle wind conditions off the Brazilian coast turn wise old head sore.

There are some wise old heads and some young enthusiastic heads feeling very sore at the moment as leg four of Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 draws to a close. ABN AMRO ONE (Mike Sanderson) is now heading away from Rio in a bid to find more pressure. She may well be lucky. There is a band of wind ahead of her and she will start to feel the benefit of this in about two hour’s time. The prospects for the rest of the fleet are not so bright. Second placed Pirates of the Caribbean (Paul Cayard) is furthest west, just 165 nautical miles from the coast, but their current wind speed is just seven knots and the Pirates have lost 17 miles to ABN AMRO ONE in the last six hours.

Third-placed ABN AMRO TWO (Sebastien Josse) has lost 10 miles and Brasil 1 (Torben Grael) in fourth, has lost five miles. The winner in the fleet tonight is Ericsson Racing Team who is continuing to make small gains, this time five miles. It doesn’t do that much to ease the pain as they are still 138 nautical miles behind ABN AMRO ONE, but it will certainly lift morale, and they are sailing the fastest in the fleet at present.

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