Helen Armour from Hove and team member of the Logica Yacht, will be just under halfway along the third leg of the BT Global Challenge this weekend.

Helen and the team have rounded the dreaded Cape Horn with a typical southern ocean gale blowing, but there were no reported problems. Despite the distance covered and the gales, the whole fleet is still bunched together.

The Logica team are at present looking a little lowly in the table but it would appear that some fine tactics are being employed. Logica headed south far more than the other teams which has dropped their leg position but this could well pay off for they may well be south of the next depression and into more favourable winds than the rest of the fleet will find.

With no observation stations to report actual conditions and to verify forecasts, weather information is not as reliable as in other areas. With conditions moderating before the next storm it will soon be clear which tactics have paid off.

The estimated arrival of the first yacht in Wellington is January 10.