IAN Walker knows the “madness” of the Malacca Straits lies ahead for the Volvo Ocean Race fleet.

The Southampton-based ex-Olympian is skippering Abu Dhabi in the third leg of the VOR, with the six boats en route for the Chinese port of Sanya.

As of this afternoon, Abu Dhabi was in third place, just 14.5 nautical miles behind leaders Dongfeng and less than one mile adrift of second placed Team Brunel.

Walker reported today: “Looking ahead, we will soon be sheeting on and sailing tighter angles as we cross the windy section between Sri Lanka and India.

“Hopefully tight reaching will prove to be a strong point, but let’s see!

“After that, the long upwind section of this race from here to the Straits of Luzon will start.

“This is only interrupted by the madness of the Malacca Straits and the stopover in Sanya.”

The Straits of Malacca is a narrow 500 mile stretch of water between the Malaysia Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

“I always saw this leg as split into five fifths,” Walker continued.

“First was exiting the Gulf, then the drag race to Sri Lanka, then crossing the Bay of Bengal followed by the Malacca Straits and the long beat to Sanya.

“As we approach the end of the second section, we have some work to do to catch Dongfeng.

“In reality we are only two hours behind with two weeks of racing to go so it isn’t insurmountable.

“There is also every chance we could all stop in Malacca in no wind and things could restart.

“But in practice they (Dongfeng) are ahead and at any stage we could get shut down behind and game over.”

Charles Caudrelier, skipper of Dongfeng, is concerned as to what lies ahead.

“One thing that is obsessing me at the moment is how far off India should we pass – an almost impossible decision,” he reported.

“The island of Sri Lanka is more than 2000 metres high, and creates a wind shadow to its south of more than 200km.

“We can head south but we'll sail many more miles, and there isn't much wind in the south either.

“This must be the question all the navigators are asking themselves over the past few days, but soon we all have to make the decision.

“This could be the key to winning this leg and unfortunately one probably needs more luck than skill to get it right.

“We don't like that.”

The six-strong fleet is quite tightly bunched, with last placed Team SCA – the all-women crew skippered by Hamble’s Sam Davies – only 40 nautical miles adrift of Dongdeng.