Chasing down the podium
Team Brunel is pushing Vestas 11th Hour Racing in a bid to get on the podium for the first time...While Dongfeng Race Team emerged from Stealth Mode on Friday evening (UTC) nearly 100 miles behind MAPFRE and continue to trail by 92 miles as of 0800 UTC on Saturday morning, the crew on Vestas 11th Hour Racing will be hoping for a better result.
Skipper Charlie Enright and navigator Simon Fisher pulled the trigger on engaging Stealth Mode on Friday night, with a narrow 7 mile advantage over a hard-charging Team Brunel.
Since then, we know Team Brunel is the fastest boat in the fleet that we can see on the tracker and sailing in the most wind. The question is whether Vestas 11th Hour Racing is enjoying the same conditions or not.
Just before pulling on the invisibilty cloak of Stealth Mode, SiFi acknowledged the push the team was facing from Brunel.
"Brunel has been going well behind and putting the pressure on," he wrote. "There will be little time to relax. We could well have a close race all the way to the finish."
At the front, it appears as if MAPFRE now has a comfortable lead, if there is such a thing. Nearly 100 miles up with just over 100 miles to go and well positioned between Dongfeng and the finish line, it's about as advantageous a position the team could hope for.
Follow all the lastest on the tracker and we'll have an ETA update with this afternoon's story.