Volvo Ocean Race

It couldn’t be tighter at the front of the fleet as they charged into the Malacca Strait with just five miles separating the top four boats.

Yann Riou/Groupama Sailing Team/ Amory Ross/PUMA Ocean… Amory Ross/PUMA Ocean… Hamish Hooper/CAMPER… Hamish Hooper/CAMPER… Diego Fructuoso/Team…

After more than 1,000 nautical miles of ocean racing on the second stage of Leg 3 to Sanya, Team Telefónica clung to the lead at 1300 UTC but their lead over second-placed CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand was a measly 0.1 nautical miles as they entered one of the world's busiest and most hazardous shipping routes.

On the approach to the island, Telefónica held off sustained attacks from Chris Nicholson’s CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand and Ken Read’s PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG after the leaders had picked their way precariously around the rocky northern Sumatran coast.

Telefónica and CAMPER traded tacks constantly on the 25 nautical mile section against the wind to Pulau We, all the time stalked by PUMA just behind.

As the leading pack began to round Pulau We, PUMA snatched second place from CAMPER when Read cut the corner and emerged ahead of Nicholson who had taken a more offshore route in search of better winds. When the boats crossed again just minutes later, however, CAMPER had struck back to reclaim second place.

Franck Cammas’ Groupama sailing team rounded Pulau We in fourth place, still within sight of the leaders and very much in a position to pounce during the 500 nm passage through the strait. At the 1600 UTC report Groupama topped the leaderboard due to their position furthest east and therefore closest to the next waypoint, but the French team were following PUMA, CAMPER and Telefónica north east.

"The strait promises to be a real minefield of opportunities and losses," said Groupama bowman Brad Marsh. "Like the game of snakes and ladders, one wrong move will drop you a long way back and one lucky move will make you look famous."

Ian Walker’s Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing and Mike Sanderson’s Team Sanya were set to enter the Malacca Strait later on Friday. Both have hopes of the fleet compressing in the strait and getting them back in the mix.

PUMA began to make gains when the leaders passed close to the northern tip of Sumatra.

At 1900 UTC, CAMPER had stolen the lead back with Telefónica in second 0.3 miles behind, PUMA in third and Groupama in fourth.

For five of the teams, 80 percent of the points for Leg 3 are at stake on this second stage, which began in the Maldives on Sunday and will take the fleet over 3,050 nm to Sanya, with an estimated finish of around February 5-6.

Team Sanya, sailing towards their home port, will score full Leg 3 points for the stage after being unable to take part in Stage 1 because of a rigging problem.