Intro:

Four boats in the Volvo Ocean Race celebrated rounding the venerated landmark of Cape Horn on Monday (30th March), with Team Alvimedica at the head of the fleet.

Script:

Team Alvimedica had the considerable honour of leading the battered Volvo Ocean Race fleet past Cape Horn on Monday afternoon (1407 GMT).

American skipper Charlie Enright and his crew reached the landmark just 15 minutes clear of the overall race leaders, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.

MAPFRE (Iker Martinez/ESP) and Team Brunel (Bouwe Bekking/NED) were hot on their heels as the field prepared to head north and back into the Atlantic for the first time since November.

They still have quite a challenge in store, navigating up the Brazilian coast towards the final Leg 5 destination of Itajai, which they will reach after 6,770 nautical miles of the most testing sailing in the nine-month offshore marathon around April 5-6.

Meanwhile, after suffering a broken mast the Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier/FRA) are still aiming to reach Ushuaia, Argentina.

If the Chinese boat can be patched up and is able to make it to Itajai, skipper Charles Caudrelier will earn an extra two points - six points for sixth place instead of eight for not finishing the leg at all.

The race is due to finish in Gothenburg, Sweden on 27th June.