The leaders in the Volvo Ocean Race have now rounded the Cape Horn and are pusing into the Atlantic Ocean on stage five.

After navigating around the Southern tip of Chile Hampshire based sailors, Ian Walker and Simon Fisher, aboard Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, are in high spirits and leading the six-strong fleet, writes Jack Rosser.

Their main rival, Dongfeng Race Team have taken severe damage to their mast and have suspended their race as they wait for repairs.

“After SiFi (Simon Fisher) checked in with the lighthouse keeper and we crossed into Atlantic waters, everyone was up on deck high on emotions.” wrote Matt Knighton, the onboard reporter for Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, on his latest blog.

“We are genuinely sorry to hear about the damage to Dongfeng. This leg had been an amazing five horse race for the past five days,” he added.

“One thing is clear – it’s definitely causing us to reevaluate how we sail the boat.”

Whilst spirits are high on the lead boat, the all-female Team SCA are still 30 hours off the Cape due to damage taken, but they are back underway again.

Hamble based navigator, Libby Greenhalgh, said: “So we are back up and running again, we had a bit an instrument crash, started off with a bit of freezing of instrument and then eventually we had nothing. No numbers, nothing, we were back to traditional sailing."

Libby’s brother, Rob Greenhalgh, is aboard the MAPFRE boat, they are also safely round the Cape and not too far off of the leaders in third place.

“There is some magic in going from the Pacific to the Atlantic.” said the MAPFRE reporter, Fansico Vignale.

“I hope that some magic will bring us safely to port – and if it’s not too much to ask, at the front of the fleet!”

Now the boats are rounding the Cape Horn they are on the home straight of the leg heading up the Argentinean coast towards Brazil and then, finally, into the port of Itajai.