Slow progress in the EDS...

500 miles and still only a ten mile separation between 1st and 3rd...

A fairly uneventful night for the EDS Atlantic Challengers saw Sill, skippered by Roland Jourdain, extend her lead over nearby rivals Kingfisher and Ecover to a more comfortable 7 miles. With only 70 miles remaining of this first leg Sill looks well positioned to win this 575 mile stage of the event.

Currently making slow progress in a 15 knot head wind off the North coast of Holland the fleet are unlikely to make the port of Cuxhaven by tonight. This will leave them with little time before starting the second leg to Portsmouth. The fleet are due to be in Portsmouth from 11-14 July, where they will be based at Gunwharf Quays.

Although when last polled Kingfisher was placed 3 miles ahead of Ecover, at one point in the evening the two boats were close enough for Ellen to 'read the logo on his [Mike Golding's] sail'.

Sailing with a small crew it is possible for the teams to set up a watch system to give each other chances to catch up on sleep. However, with such short legs, the need to sail these boats with as little weight as possible means any weight carried on the yacht is being used as ballast. A weary Ellen commented:

"Each time we tack it's a full crew exercise, regardless of who is asleep - not just the manoeuvre of tacking, but also the long and back-aching process of shifting all the boxes and bags (about 20 in all) to get the trim of the boat right afterwards."

Even on such a short leg, the concentration required in the light air conditions experienced yesterday, and the need to continuously trim the sails will almost certainly have taken it's toll on the teams. The crews therefore need to be sure that they have the most efficient program set out for their Hamburg stopover to give them a chance to both catch up with their sleep and prepare for the next leg, starting 9 July.