Angus Fuller, a watchleader taking part on TeamSpirIT in the BT Global Challenge, is gearing himself up for the most daunting test of the race, the Southern Ocean. Here, he explains how the preparations are going.

It is 48 hours until the start of the third leg from Buenos Aries to Wellington via Cape Horn.

In effect this is what we have all been training and working for since we signed up for the race: the Southern Ocean. Standard preparation for an ocean crossing has been taking place including checking of deck gear, rig, mechanical systems and provisioning.

Over the next day we will carry out last minute checks in the River Plate and practise using our trysail - changing to it from the mainsail and back again. Having learnt from experience we will be changing to this in 40 knots of wind.

However, before we go for the sail we are still missing one fundamental thing: our new crew! Having written in this column on arrival in Buenos Aires that some crew were leaving TeamSpirIT, now only four have - one person changed their mind once they got back to England! At the time of writing, I have still not met our replacements and the last crew member is due to arrive on Friday, just 48 hours before the start gun goes at 10am down the River Plate.

Including the new Legger (the sponsors representative, two per leg) I will be having up to four new people in my watch of eight. Hence a lot of the training such as roles during headsail changes, reefing and spinnaker work will be taking place on the way down to Cape Horn, by which time I hope they will have got the hang of it!

Despite the crew changes, we still have a core crew of 13 left who have been aboard since leaving Southampton. Our skipper John Read has sailed round Cape Horn many times and has taught heavy sailing courses for the Challenge Business. We are confident that we will be placed better than 10th place on our arrival in Wellington.