I was just told that the TP 52 worlds are going on in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. Not only did we just sail right past that island, but did so in the middle of a gybing duel with E4, with them about 2 boat lengths ahead of us at times. No matter how close the TP 52 event is, my guess is that there won't be any tighter racing than the racing E4 and ourselves are having right now.

As they zig zagged all over the lot trying to prevent us from passing on the high or low side, they were effective. We let them gybe first (I was watching them move their stack with very cool night vision bino's). We decided to set up about a mile to leeward, trying to sail our own angles and see if we can boat speed them and finally break through. For sure there isn't much in it. Very fun though. Doesn't make for much sleep, that is for sure.

So, as I am sitting here at the nav station trying to dial in a good downwind mode for the guys on deck using our polars and the radar (watching our angles and speed to E4), I figured I would write about the action. Honestly, I thought the racing would be close but this is ridiculous!

On board action is still intense here at the gear stacking world championships! Ricky Deppe (media boy) sits and films us or just watches as his 10 friends bust their humps moving gear all over the craft depending on the mode we are in, the angle of sail and the wind speed. Just seems bizarre to watch him watch us. Good news though is he is getting some great stuff on board and sending it off daily. Should be in your living room soon I would guess.

Besides that, it is business as usual. Lousy food, smelly guys, getting fire hosed on deck and sleeping inside a base drum with someone relentlessly beating on it 24 hours a day. Nowhere would we rather be right now.

Kenny (Ken Read) - skipper.

Visit www.volvooceanrace.org for all the latest news!

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.