I just want to get there...

From on board Assa Abloy Neal MacDonald curses the weather and their poor performance

It's getting near the end of a dull week and what has turned out to be a bad leg for us on Assa Abloy. Our error at the Island of Brazil has cost us dearly - far from making up our initial losses we have simply dropped further and further back.

As I write this illbruck and Amer Sport One have finished and News Corps will also soon be safely tied up. On this leg the further ahead you were the more you gained. Some 1300 miles separated first and last boat - an incredible distance considering the tightness of the racing for the first 3000 or so miles.

Probably one of my worst weeks sailing in memory - not only have we been beaten by a huge margin but we have lost several points in doing so. It's a pretty bad feeling sailing the boat now over 200 miles from any other boat, knowing the leaders have kicked our arse and are enjoying a beer and some food on dry land.

Here we are in our stinking clothes, eating our heavily rationed food (our snacks ran out long ago) bashing into a near gale of a headwind! Every day longer it takes now is basically another day off on shore gone - and we have very few of those coming up anyway with an ever expanding work list to do.

I feel sorry for those behind who have been struck by the same thing as us only worse - I hope the weather takes a turn for the better for them.

But it's not all doom & gloom. Nothing is going to stop me enjoying my first 20 or so lagers when I get in and there is always the excitement of the ETA betting list to look forward to!

Neal