Records tumble

SEB has set a new Volvo Ocean Race benchmark of 458.5 miles in 24 hours.

This is a new record for a Volvo 60 and just nine miles off Bernard Stamm's outright monohull world record. SEB surged into first place in the process, but it is close with just 38 miles separating the top five boats.

"Somehow the sailing down here in the Southern Ocean will always be special. It is a yacht race, yes, but also so much more," says an almost spiritual sounding SEB skipper Gurra Krantz. "It is special just to be in a place where everything is dressed in grey, the wind is stronger, the waves are higher and even the temperature seems lower then anywhere else. To see the team pull together and achieve something way outside the normal human comfort barrier. To get that extra adrenaline kick, become a bit addicted, push yet a bit harder, discover it works, push harder again, crash, recover, get back in the groove, get scared, push beyond that, get the feeling that you are really on the edge."

Team SEB now hold a ten mile lead over Assa Abloy who has been having troubles of her own. "After rounding the North side of Kerguelen, regaining the lead in record pace, and holding Illbruck and SEB, we were slowed up by weed," reports navigator, Mark Rudiger. Skipper, Neal McDonald called for the headsail to be dropped and backed-up the boat to clear the weed. Then the surprises really stated. "Just as Neil was yelling 'all clear', illbruck went screaming right past us like a runaway train in the middle of the night," reports Rudiger. "We don't know which of us was more surprised."

Assa Abloy is not the only boat to have suffered downtime. "It was the night we should have stayed at home'" says djuice skipper Knut Frostad. "It started all very nicely yesterday afternoon with the radio interview with the Volvo Ocean Race media centre. One of the questions was how was it that we didn't have any problems onboard. Six hours later our new unbreakable headboard car came off the mast." the car hadn't actually broken, but the fittings that hold the slide rods broke off and finally the whole car came off.

Learning from the last leg djuice had a spare car with them. It took nearly two hours to fit the new car and with the other boats still moving at nearly 20 knots, they had to pay the price.

The fleet speed and mileages are still impressive this morning with the first five yachts sailing 400 plus mile days in the 30 knot breeze. Fast but slightly below record pace.

The leaders now have 1,475 miles to sail to Eclipse Island off the southwest tip of Australia but are retaining their easterly direction at present, rather than aiming straight for the waypoint.