While Illbruck has increased her lead by two miles over the last few hours, Grant Dalton’s Amer Sports One has been overtaken by Team News Corp and Assa Abloy, leaving her wallowing in fifth position. Team mates aboard Amer Sports Too are now just 50 miles behind the leader in sixth place.

Djuice Dragon, lying in seventh, has lost a couple of miles while SEB, who is sailing her own race over on the east of the course, has found a bit of wind and is now pulling back a few lost miles.

Opting to take a different course from the rest of the pack is always risky and results in either a large gain or loss. Now 117 miles behind the leader Team SEB have resigned themselves to the fact that taking the eastern track was not such a smart move. “What the hell are we doing here?” they admitted earlier this morning, “We’re committed. There is no door open for us to go west, and take our word for it, we’ve been looking!” On the bright side, however, the breeze has recently increased over to the east and Team SEB is currently sailing at nine knots, which is faster than the rest of the fleet!

Positions at 1000 GMT (4 October, 2001)

1st illbruck

2nd Team Tyco (13 miles behind leader)

3rd equal News Team Corp (15 miles behind leader)

3rd equal Assa Abloy (15 miles behind leader)

5th Amer Sports One (19 miles behind leader)

6th Amer Sports Too (50 miles behind leader)

7th djuice dragons (62 miles behind leader)

8th SEB (117 miles behind leader)