For the leaders, as they negotiate a high pressure ridge and await their own ride on the next weather system, the lighter winds, there is a chance to recuperate, regroup and recover from their own travails and troubles over their first few days in the Indian Ocean.

With one third of the race course now already completed, theoretically, by the leaders, there is the knowledge that there is about three weeks of Southern Ocean conditions still to be dealt with. Tactically these times of transitions are stressful in terms of predicting the optimum times and angles to gybe, but essentially this is time in the waiting room waiting the next express ride east. All six leading boats are comfortably within 100 miles of each other, Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) is sixth at 88.1 miles from leader Jean-Pierre Dick.

The mid fleet chasing group have been enjoying challenging conditions, big winds and waves. Dominique Wavre, SUI, (Temenos II) was this morning enjoying some wild surfs and has recovered the best part of 100 miles on the leaders in 24 hours, quickest of the fleet between the middle of the day rankings  at 18 knots on his Owen-Clarke design.

Dee Caffari, GBR, (Aviva) has been charging as well, refusing to accept second best to Arnaud Boissières, Akenas Verandas. At the 1000hrs GMT poll, Aviva was behind Akenas Verandas but Dee is nearly 20 miles ahead this afternoon. Sam Davies, GBR, (Roxy) finally lost her 14^th place to the hard driving high winds master Bernard Stamm, SUI, (Cheminées Poujoulat).

Each of the skippers has paid the price to some extent in crossing the Indian Ocean: even the leader Jean-Pierre Dick (Paprec-Virbac 2) recorded that he had let his gennaker go into the water and had had a crash gybe.  Most have broached at some point or another, which costs them in time but perhaps more significantly in physical and mental effort. Some like Dee Caffari (Aviva) and Vincent Riou (PRB) have received slight injuries. Dee was hampered by a knee problem which is under control for the moment, while Vincent Riou (PRB) has an ongoing injury to his Achilles and the sole of his foot.

In this first third of the race, we have seen this phenomenon on several occasions, where many have physically worn themselves out. 

Mental sharpness and moods are affected by physical tiredness, exacerbated by the interminable cold, the grey skies, the constant damp, confinement to the cockpit and the difficulties of moving around the boat, particularly when the overall pace has not really changed.

 Today, they do not feel like taking any risks or want to get away .  Priority instead to getting some rest, while maintaining speeds that are high enough to stop them falling behind.

Tonight there is another element to take into account - how they will pass the Kerguelens. They have a narrow corridor (230 miles) between these islands and Heard Island to be left to starboard.

Brian Thompson, GBR, (Bahrain Team Pindar): “Today has been similar with good speeds and the same sail configuration. Have been changing course on the autopilot as the wind alters, and filling and emptying the water ballast tanks as the trim requires it. Its very unusual to have a day without any sail changing action on the bow. Some big surfs to 28 knots, and a very bumpy downwind ride.”

 “Heading now on an easterly course towards Marion and Prince Edward Island, but later tonight the wind will start to shift into the west and I will start to arc more SE before gybing tomorrow towards the Kerguelen Islands. I am happy to be slightly north of where the routing software is guiding me, to give me room to manoeuvre round a forecast low in 6 days, and to stay in 25-30 knot winds rather than 30-35. It seems faster in those conditions, although the weather routing always takes you south here and into the strongest possible winds – which is often slower due to the seastate,  the software doesn't have to go on deck!”

 “ Talked with Dominic from Temenos today and Sam on Roxy. Good to catch up with fellow sailors tearing across the same oceans. We are probably the only people out at sea here.”

Seb Josse (BT): "Today conditions are quite calm as we are between two low pressure systems. There is about 15 knots of wind and the waves are about 2m high, it's grey, no colour outside at all and it's cold with a lot of humidity inside the boat so it is really hard to dry anything. I'm happy with my position - the boats in the south are on the shorter course but it is more dangerous because of the ice.  It's not easy to manage the strategy between the north and south but I try to manage the best I can, to make a nice course and not go 200% or even 100% all the time, just to make a nice curve on the map!"