Volvo Ocean Race – It's leg 8, day 4 and we're STILL in the lead

by Annie Lush on 11 Jun 2015 Volvo Ocean Race – Holding my breath. That's what I feel like I've been doing for the past 48 hours.

It's leg eight, day four and we're in the lead. Whoohoo! STILL (double Whoohoo!)

But as always in this race it's close. We're currently slamming our way upwind across the Bay of Biscay. Vestas are snapping at our heels and half the fleet have split, taking a more eastern coastal route.

Last night we tacked to come back east across the bay and towards our rivals. We needed the wind to shift to the left to make our crossing port tack the favoured one. I watched the compass praying, daring for it to show the wind going more north.

Eventually, it did and I can now breathe again. For the moment, we're looking good.

Night two also had its scary moments. We were tacking up the Spanish coast in very light winds until finally our breeze completely ran out. We knew we'd have to go through a transition zone, but as we sat there, sails flapping back and forth, listless, with no air to fill them, it was tense.

The first days and nights we'd fought hard in light fickle winds to gain precious miles on the fleet, stacking, tacking, gybing, peeling, anything to keep creeping north faster than the others.

Were all these gains about to be lost as we sat off the coast in a hole, with only the wake of passing fishing boats causing any movement in our sails?

After what felt like hours a small puff had eventually filled the jib, and most importantly our jib first, before the other boats, allowing us all to breath a sigh of relief and prepare for the battle we were about to face on rounding Cape Finistere.

Luckily we were prepared for the Bay of Biscay, as it has lived up to its name with strong winds and unremitting seas. It's been 24 hours of endless bouncing around upwind.

For some onboard it's been 24 hours of hell, a repetitive cycle of drinking, trying to eat, being sick, and trying again. It doesn't seem fair that whilst some of us are happily eating everything in sight, others feel close to death at just the mention of food.

Sea sickness has taken its prisoners onboard Team SCA, but the end is in sight and as Elo assured me yesterday, the fact that we're winning makes it all the more bearable.

So I'd better get to bed for a short rest, before more trimming, grinding, driving, speed, speed, speed, to make sure we keep ALL the boys behind us!