BT Global Challenge - Leg 2 - 10th November

'The watch from 1400-2000 hours on Wednesday - another one to remember. The one thing that we are all learning is that the ocean and the weather will never let you rest, especially when you are yacht racing and trying to get the most out of all weather conditions - calm or storm. We had been expecting a weather system for 12 hours - a wind shift to the north, and then the east and a full 35 knots expected.

We came on watch with sunny skies and 15-20 knots of wind, the heavy spinnaker up and full main powering us along. There were dark clouds ahead and the call went up that we were to drop the kite. I'm the bowman, so whenever the spinnaker is up, I always wear my climbing harness and stay armed with the spike - and because of the good weather the only other garment I was wearing were my swimming shorts.

Same old story, up to the end of the pole, arms getting a bit tired by now, and down with the kite. Just in time as within 20 minutes we were in 30 knots of wind with the seas building. With full main and staysail we were doing ten-12 knots. The headsail was hanked on to the forestay ready to go - but we didn't need it up on the bow any more. Water was crashing over the boat, but it was wonderfully warm to make up for the cold rain.

Dickon was on the helm - that was a godsend, because he often works on the bow, he also works hard when he's steering to minimise the water washing down the foredeck. We get the headsail back to the cockpit, lash it down and then take the smaller one up to the foredeck and hank that on. It's now gusting 45 knots.

Back to the cockpit to get two reefs in the main - hard work with the sail powered up on a broad reach. Then up to the foredeck to hoist the headsail. As a wave crashes over me I look back and Dickon is sporting a huge grin as he steers. Behind him, the waves are building to crests with the wind blowing spray off the tops. Once the headsail is up, it's back to the main to put the third reef in, then up to the foredeck to drop the staysail. And after that - time to have a cup of tea.

I can't wait to get on the helm, I ask Conrad if he wants a break, he does - fantastic. The next 30 minutes are the highlight of the trip so far. The only word to describe helming a 72 foot yacht in 40 knots of wind with waves crashing over the whole boat is AWESOME! If the spray on the windward side didn't get you, the water crashing down the leeward rail would. They say that a race such as this is made up of big highs and big lows, this was one of those high moments. An amazing experience.

It is now Friday morning, the sun is shining for the first time since Wednesday morning and the big spinnaker is up, cruising rather than crashing along at 10 knots. All of our clothes are soaked and stinking. We only brought one pair of boots each as footwear - any extra shoes would have been extra weight. Now the boots are full of water and we squelch everywhere we go. I just hope that they dry out before we walk into the yacht club in Buenos Aires for that first beer.

Our lead has now stretched, and for the first time all of the other 11 yachts are more than a hundred miles behind. We think that even Conrad is pleased?'

LG FLATRON has made the gains we thought possible in the last report, ducking ahead of the low pressure and into the strong easterly breeze to the south of it, while the rest of the fleet suffers in the light air to the north of the system. At 1342 GMT on Friday 10th November, the BT Global Challenge website reported the positions and distances to the finish of the top six as:

1 LG FLATRON 1206 nm
2 Spirit of Hong Kong 1307 nm
3 VERITAS 1319 nm
4 BP 1323 nm
5 Logica 1337 nm
6 Quadstone 1350 nm