Volvo Ocean Race

One thing and one thing only is uppermost in the minds of the sailors this morning: breaking out of the light wind high pressure ridge and into the northerly Portuguese trade winds which will shoot them towards Lisbon and the finish of Leg 7.

As expected, the high pressure ridge blocking the fleet’s path to Lisbon brought the fleet to a virtual halt overnight with Abu Dhabi narrowly holding off Groupama to emerge with their lead intact this morning.

Second place Groupama are in slow speed pursuit of Leg 7 leaders Abu Dhabi as a high pressure ridge slows the fleet to a snails pace.

Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race looked set to come to a thrilling climax in the final 36 hours of the transatlantic passage to Lisbon as the fleet began to compress in a high pressure ridge off Portugal on Wednesday.

Excitement is reaching fever pitch in Lisbon ahead of Thursday’s arrival of the Volvo Ocean Race fleet -- and dockside all is set for a grand 24-hour welcoming party.

Race fans were able to get even closer to the thrilling action of the Leg 7 finale with a series of live video calls taking place today.

Groupama sailing team have been in overdrive overnight draining one and a half tonnes of water after their aft ballast tank cracked and spilled its content in the inside of their boat.

With only 65 nautical miles separating first and last in the Leg 7 race to Lisbon, second place PUMA are asking should they play the offensive or defensive game as the pressure mounts over the remaining 500 nm to Lisbon.

What's the latest in the Volvo Ocean Race? Find out right here.

Race fans will be able to watch the nail-biting climax to Leg 7 play out in real time with the race tracker going ‘live’, while Wednesday also brings a chance to tune into video calls with the fleet.

Race fans will be able to watch the nail-biting climax to Leg 7 play out in real time with the race tracker going ‘live’.

Groupama surged back into contention on Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race on Tuesday, joining a fast-moving pack of teams threatening to make it a tight finish for leaders Abu Dhabi.

The split-second reflexes of CAMPER helmsman Roberto 'Chuny' Bermúdez narrowly saved the team from a high-speed collision with a whale in the middle of the Atlantic on Tuesday.

Sanya skipper Mike Sanderson celebrated his 41st birthday on Tuesday with 10 crew mates and high hopes of getting back in contention for the team's first podium place.

The Volvo Ocean Race might be sailed in the fastest monohull boats in the world, but it’s the painstaking tactical decisions made under extreme pressure that ultimately win or lose legs.

Excitement levels are building on board PUMA as Ken Read’s team hold on to second place entering the final 1,000 nautical miles of Leg 7 from Miami to Lisbon.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing managed to stem the flow of miles lost to their rivals overnight as the fleet continues its headlong rush across the Atlantic towards Lisbon.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing reduced the flow of miles lost to their closest rival to a trickle overnight as the fleet continued its headlong rush across the Atlantic towards Lisbon.

What's the latest in the Volvo Ocean Race? Find out right here.

At 1900 GMT, Ian Walker's Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing were still leading Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Miami in the United States to Lisbon in Portugal, but it is a nervous time for the Emirati team as the fleet dig into their margin, which grows smaller with every position report.