Cook Strait congestion

As Estrella Damm and Groupe Bel pull into Wellington just one minute apart in the Barcelona World Race

Cook Strait is looking busy this morning. Last night Estrella Damm and Groupe Bel arrived into Wellington just a minute apart, with Alex Pella and Pepe Ribes' red boat having narrowed regained third place, starting their mandatory 48 hour stopover at 2013 GMT.

Before arriving Kito De Pavant the Groupe Bel co-skipper noted his surprise "We passed the buoy at Barrett Reef at 1800 this Sunday evening and there we had the big surprise to find Estrella Damm in front of us at this buoy as we had really been watching for them all night and could not see them pass more to our west.

Meanwhile fifth placed Renault ZE Sailing Team is due to pass Wellington this morning, her crew of Pachi Rivero and Tonio Piris having not indicated that they are planning a stopover. Assuming this is the case then it will launch the Spanish duo into third place, albeit with a deficit of some 500 miles on Mapfre. And Neutrogena is into Tasman Bay with Mirabaud soon to enter Cook Strait too.

Out at the front of the fleet, following their respective Wellington antics, so Mapfre has closed to within 123 miles of leader Virbac Paprec 3 (or 30 miles in the last 48 hours) as both boats are forced to dive a long way south into the Southern Ocean to round the favourable south side of an area of high pressure centred currently at 53°S. This high is set to be the main feature of their race for the next few days with the high only shifting up into the 'Roaring 40s' mid-week. The lead duo will have to follow this north as the western end of the next mandatory waypoint gate is some 1000 miles away, located at 50°30S.