It has been a long 24 hours onboard Green Dragon. The approach south has seen the Dragon lose some crucial miles, but with just under 5000 miles to go the feeling onboard is positive and there is still a long road ahead. The next obstacle, the Doldrums....

1600 GMT Current positions/DTL
1. PUMA / 0
2. Ericsson 4 / 18
3. Ericsson 3 / 50
4. Delta Lloyd / 75
5. Team Russia / 109
6. Green Dragon / 118
7. Telefonica Blue / 201
8. Telefonica Black / 231

Volvo's shore based performance evaluator Mark Chisnell filled us in on the weather systems ahead.

"So this is a big moment - they have to balance four different factors: the wind shift to the east; getting a clean path through the Cape Verde Islands (benefiting from any local effects and not getting stuck in the lee of any islands, or hitting any rocks); their position relative to the rest of the fleet; and, last but not least, getting the right line through the Doldrums, which they could hit as little as 48 hours after the gybe."

Update from Ian Walker

I feel a bit odd today - maybe its because I have just had four hours sleep - my longest stint of the trip so far and the first time I have slept through two position reports. The reports haven't made great reading recently so I am glad to have missed them.

Its tricky out here - I have no idea how it can be so shifty so far out to sea. We are focusing on lining up for the Doldrums right now and there is a 'tropical wave' ahead of us (please note that onboard whenever anybody says 'tropical wave' everyone else does a Mexican wave!). Is this the first sign of madness onboard I wonder? This will mean a fast transition for some and could spell trouble for others.

Right now it looks like the further ahead you are the better shape you will be in - we need to keep pushing hard. Anyway spirits remain high and were boosted when Damian got hit in the face by a flying fish in the night. I am not sure what was funnier the direct hit or Damian trying to get it out of the cockpit.

I am going to start spending more time on deck as I spend so much time watching the computer and studying weather info that I feel the race is more of a 'virtual experience' right now. Whenever you are on deck it is fantastic sailing - we haven't seen any other signs of human life since the Canaries and very little wildlife. Thankfully only a few small pilot whales and various dolphin. Thanks for following the Green Dragon as she heads south and nears the Cape Verde Islands".

Read more news at greendragonracing.com

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The Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09 will be the 10th running of this ocean marathon. Starting from Alicante in Spain, on 4 October 2008 with in-port racing, it will, for the first time, take in Cochin, India, Singapore and Qingdao, China before finishing in St Petersburg, Russia for the first time in the history of the race.

Spanning some 37,000 nautical miles, stopping at 11 ports and taking nine months to complete, the Volvo Ocean Race is the world's premier yacht race for professional racing crews.