Final miles for Hugo Boss

Andy Meiklejohn and Wouter Verbraak due to finish Barcelona World Race tonight

After more than 110 days of racing, Andy Meiklejohn and Wouter Verbraak were making steady progress this afternoon with less than 100 miles to the finish concentrating on bringing Hugo Boss home across the finish line after a slow, problematic period during yesterday evening and this morning when they were often slowed to just 5-6 knots.

The Kiwi-Dutch duo passed only six miles west of Dragonera, the west point of Mallorca, this afternoon and were sailing at just over 10 knots in a building easterly breeze.

In Barcelona the strong northeasterlies have been blowing since last night and the duo are now expected between 2300 GMT tonight and 0100 on Friday morning, looking to cement seventh place from the 14 teams who started on 31 December.

Just over 120 miles behind are Gerard Marin and Ludovic Aglaor on Forum Maritim Catala. The Catalan-French duo are expected in Barcelona on Friday afternoon, but are also nursing their IMOCA Open 60 which has some rigging problems.

At just over 3000 miles from the finish, We Are Water ensured that when Hugo Boss finishes all of the remaining race fleet will be in the Northern Hemisphere after they crossed the Equator at 0845 GMT this morning.

“It was a time of great satisfaction and emotion after three months in the south, the East Indian, the Pacific and the big South and now every day feels like a day closer to home,” wrote Jaume Mumbrú and Cali Sanmartí this morning.