Leg 4, Melbourne to Hong Kong, day 14. Onboard Azkonobel in the South Pacific near Challenger Deep © Sam Greenfield / Volvo Ocean Race
It has been a character forming leg with some of the more fancied boats turning a "can do better" report card.
On the other hand one of the usual backmarkers has shown that a smart strategy and preparedness to take risks can pay a handsome dividend - making the outcome of this race look far less certain that it did after the finish of Leg 3.
There's some mixed emotions in the fleet some of which are reflected in these shots. Plus the big grins as the crews enjoy sailing for hours on end at average speeds of either side of 20kts, and in the tropical climes - water and air. They pass close by the Challenger Deep - the deepest water in the world - at the southern end of the Mariana Trench.
One of the great innovations has been the advent of the drone, which we saw being flown by Dongfeng race Team in the previous race, however in the 2017/18 race this form of photography is being taken to a new level - giving some spectacular images still and video, allowing fans to see how these boats perform out of the sight of land on the long stretches of open water.
Flying these drones is not a walk in the park by any means, and the OBR's have all done very well with getting the best out of this new technology, which has the potential to transform the coverage of all forms of sailing.