After an exciting start this morning, the VOR fleet is now heading south, on starboard tack, just to the east of Montague Island in 20 knots of breeze.

The wind is creating a fairly large chop but illbruck still retains the slight edge over Tyco with djuice, Assa Abloy, SEB and News Corp sailing abreast at similar speeds.

There is a low pressure weather system approximately 1,000 miles east of Tasmania and, as it travels east, the wind will lighten as the fleet approaches the port of Eden, the last port before entering Bass Strait.

Position Report, Day 1, 1554 GMT

1 ILBK

2 TYCO

3 TSEB

4 DJCE

5 AART

6 NEWS

7 AONE

8 ATOO