Gunning for the record
Conditions for the next 30 hours are favourable for posting big miles... And some sailors are talking about breaking the 24-hour distance record.
With the wind above 25 knots, the sea relatively flat, and the wind angle favourable to the Volvo Ocean 65s, there is a possibility of breaking the 24-hour distance sailed record set by Abu Dhabi in the 2015-16 race.
Back in March 2015, Ian Walker's team sailed 550.8 nautical miles in one 24-hour stretch on the approach to Cape Horn.
“We were so stoked with the record,” Walker said about setting the distance mark. “After about 8 hours I said to the guys, ‘look, I want to get that, even if it means losing distance in the race, I want to go for it’."
Already on Thursday morning, the current teams are sitting on about 525 miles for a 24 hour run, and that is expected to increase over the next day.
"For the next 36 hours we have very good breeze, with a good potential for breaking the 24 hour speed record for the race," wrote Team Brunel's Bouwe Bekking.
"There's a big low forming to the west of us which is giving us some nice downwind conditions," said helmsman Peter Burling. "There's a good chance of the 24 hour speed run for the whole race, I'd say, over the next couple of days."
It's a big ask, as 550.8 nautical miles translates into an average speed just shy of 23 knots.
Follow their progress on the live tracker.