HAMBLE’S Sam Davies and her all-female Team SCA crew are now up to sixth place in the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race after making significant gains over the last 48-hours.

The first leg of the prestigious round the world race takes the seven competing crews from Alicante, Spain, to Cape Town in South Africa and the fleet has largely been scrapping for small gains so far as they navigated the Mediterranean, the African Coast and the Doldrums.

Team SCA, which also includes Hampshire sailor Dee Caffari , had fared worst of the crews in these niggling early stages and had dropped to the back of the fleet. But now they are into the South Atlantic and picking up the edge of the trade winds, the all-female crew have clawed their way back into the race.

Team SCA now sit in sixth place, some 13 nautical miles ahead of the Spain’s Team Mapfre and just 15nm behind fifth-placed Team Alvimedica, the Turkish-sponsored crew skippered by American Charlie Enright.

Even more encouraging for Davies and her crewmates is the fact they have not lost that much ground on the race’s overall leaders.

Southampton sailor Ian Walker and his Abu Dhabi Racing team are still holding on to first place at the front of the fleet, with a 22nm advantage over Team Brunel. Then there is a 40nm gap back to Team Vestas Wind and a similar gap to the Chinese Dongfeng Race Team.

And, while these teams jockey for position at the front of the fleet, there is a chance for Davies’s crew to sneak back into contention.