Issuma: Why I am hugging the coast of Brasil

Richard Hudson in Issuma is single-handed now, 2000 miles up the coast from Montevideo.

He explains the currents and conditions that led him to take the risks of sailing quite close to the coast, with its hazards of high traffic, and the lee shore if the wind shifts to the east.

Volvo: Across the Equator - a tight pack

All 7 boats have crossed the Equator. Telefonica Blue, which did the last 4000 miles of the epic Qingdao to Rio leg without a headstay, showed its speed by being first at the Fernando de Noronha scoring mark - the equatorial island off the Brazil coast. The next 5 boats were separated by only 14 miles DTF across a stretch of the South Atlantic as they passed over to the north. 3500 miles to Boston.

The usual silly celebrations occurred at the crossings.

Here's the 2-D graphic showing race position.