The Chief Medical Advisor Dr Tim Spalding (orthopaedic consultant in Coventry , UK), Dr Mark Tomson (a family doctor/ sailing doctor from Hamble, UK) and the Medical Co-ordinator to the Volvo Ocean Race , Timo Malinen (Chiropractor from Hamble, UK)

The last, long night

As night falls on what is hoped will be the final night at sea for the fleet racing in the Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06, the wind is dying and the last night looks as if it will be a long one. The rest of the night is likely to be very slow going and indications are that the fleet will be crawling up the coast, but as yet there are no plans to shorten the course. 

ABN AMRO TWO (Sebastien Josse) has stolen a march on the rest of the fleet and are through the gate at Hanstholm at the entrance to the Skagerrat.  They are now 65 miles from the next gate at Skagern, on the northern tip of Denmark, which is the last point at which the race committee can announce any changes of course.

Brasil 1 (Torben Grael) is 15 miles behind the Dutch yacht and is still the yacht closest to the shore, just 3.5 miles off the coast at Hanstholm, while Ericsson (Neal McDonald) and ABN AMRO ONE (Mike Sanderson) are still staying with the offshore option and sailing much slower than the rest of the fleet. 

Earlier today, Pirates of the Caribbean (Paul Cayard) bit the bullet hard and turned inshore, sailing on the unfavoured tack for an hour to get to the position they wanted.  They have now made up ground and their reward is third place on the leg, which is enough for them to retain their second position on the overall leaderboard. 

LEG NINE DAY 02, 2200 GMT POSITION REPORT

ABN1              ABN AMRO ONE

ABN2              ABN AMRO TWO

BRA1              Brasil 1

AUS1              Brunel

ERIC               Ericsson Racing Team

POTC             Pirates of the Caribbean

DTLC: distance to leader change; the difference between the distance from the boat to the leader taken at the time of the last six hour poll, and the distance from the boat to the leader at the previous poll