From then on the breeze rapidly builds again in the South China Sea, indicating a fast final few miles into the finish.
The interesting aspect of this last 1,000 miles is that all the boats have gybed to the south to stay in better pressure except the leg leader, Team Sun Hung Kai Scallywag, which was on the western side of the course in any case.
However Scally is coming close to the light patch and could be slowed even more – the question is, with a margin of 95 miles over second-placed Vestas 11th Hour Racing, is this likely to enough for her to be caught?
In third place Dongfeng Race Team has become the first boat on this leg to choose Stealth Mode when their position is not shown on the Tracker or in the position reports for 24 hours.
Prior to temporarily disappearing from our screens, Dongfeng had gybed to the south, along with fourth-placed Team AkzoNobel, and the red and white Volvo Ocean 65 sponsored by Dongfeng Motor Corporation was holding third place about 130 miles behind the leader.
While in Stealth Mode there is a possibility that Dongfeng might head even further south and look for a passage through the Babuyan Islands that brings her very close to the northern coast of the Philippine island of Luzon.
Uppermost in the minds of skipper Charles Caudrelier and navigator Franck Cammas will be the goal of trying to find a way past Vestas, as the two crews fight for second place overall in Hong Kong.
Latest position report at 070UTC:
1. Team Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag. DTF: 938nm
2. Vestas 11th Hour Racing. DTL: 95,05nm
3. Team AkzoNobel. DTL: 172,85nm
4. MAPFRE. DTL: 240,08nm
5. Team Brunel. DTL: 269,23nm
6. Turn the Tide on Plastic. DTL: 288,07nm
(STEALTH MODE) Dongfeng Race Team
