The North Sea with its many sandbanks is challenging the navigators‚ skills. Tyco in the lead has to find the way in the quest for the best trade off between sailing angles and less adverse or most favourable tide. The least adverse tide can be usually found in shallow water, which is a nerve-wracking circumstance for the navigators as grounding would be disastrous. Campbell Field, navigator on News Corp explains the situation : "Currents have to be negotiated here, however each yacht is using the same materials and tools for modelling tides and currents, and very similar weather sources, so each yacht will be making similar decisions. The small shifts in wind are where the gains are to be made and lost.

"Gone are the days of rounding countries and continents, we now have to negotiate buoys, and on top of that, a small lighthouse on a Norwegian island just south of Arundel, with very limited room to manoeuvre. Hopefully we will pass through in fair conditions during daylight, as there are a number of unlit marks and hazards. Thank god for modern day GPS and digital charting to aid navigation. Even so, it could be extremely hazardous to pass through these areas with bad weather and darkness, and with such a highly competitive race, not entering and missing a mark resulting in disqualification is definitely not an option", Cam continued.

SEB’s skipper Gunnar Krantz reported some technical problems : "Two technical problems the first day. First we broke a jib halyard, which was easily fixed. Then we found problems with the wind instruments. It became very evident when rounding Ushant that something was wrong. We had no accurate numbers on the wind at all. It seemed to be the cable in the mast that was the problem. We have two cables run, one as a spare, and both are damaged somehow. Most likely it was when we broke the halyard that the cables got damaged. Still working on the problem, maybe we can find a solution."

As the leg to the next waypoint, the oil-rig platform NSR-M1 in position 5344.72N 00233.35E will become lighter and straight downwind for several hours it could be the decisive part of the leg. Between Tyco and ASSA ABLOY who are sharing the lead and sixth placed SEB there is just two miles in it, with Amer Sports One, News Corp and illbruck neck and neck. The yachts have just passed the North Foreland and are about to pass the Thames Estuary.

Djuice has passed Dover this morning and skipper Knut Frostad is concentrating on the navigation, letting other guys run the boat on deck. He wrote from his navstation : "Again it will be some very long hours in the nav station. I must say I miss the fresh air on deck. Had some hours drive in the breeze today, and that helped."

Amer Sports Too is trailing the fleet by over 100 miles, most of the distance was lost last night, when the all female crew around skipper Lisa McDonald went closer to the English coast, while the other yachts stayed well offshore. With the area of low pressure over the British Isles, the wind got less the closer they sailed to the coast. This morning they were close enough to the Isle of Wight to spot the white rocks of the island’s coast. New Zealander Campbell Field from News Corp reported on the feelings of his English crew mates : "Some of the Poms [English] on board are glad of the sight of old blighty off the port bow, some even twitching at the thought that we were within 55 nm of the Pier View [Pub] in Cowes, could almost taste the beer."

Volvo Ocean Race Position Report, Day 3, 1304 GMT

PS Yacht Latitude Longitude DTF CMG SMG TFHR DTL DTL-C ETA PO
 1 AONE 52 00.92N 001 42.64E 568 11 12.6 315 0 -1 29/05/02 16:33 44
 2 AART 52 01.56N 001 38.16E 568 8 12.7 319 0 0 29/05/02 16:32 48
 3 ILBK 52 00.76N 001 41.96E 568 11 12.8 317 0 -1 29/05/02 16:33 55
 4 NEWS 52 00.76N 001 40.36E 568 10 12.7 318 0 -1 29/05/02 16:34 39
 5 TSEB 52 00.40N 001 41.88E 569 12 12.7 318 1 -1 29/05/02 16:37 30
 6 TYCO 52 01.00N 001 38.04E 569 7 12.3 318 1 +1 29/05/02 16:35 36
 7 DJCE 51 47.40N 001 45.88E 580 18 12.8 316 12 -1 29/05/02 17:40 25
 8 ATOO 50 41.88N 000 18.92E 670 83 10.9 255 102 +7 30/05/02 01:49 11