MAKING WAVES: Lying in last place since leaving Itajai is down to not sailing in the correct mode to match the others' sail plan as we went offshore, a slightly longer route but likely to be safer for steady breeze

THIS HAS been a tough week at the office. Since leaving Itajai 10 days ago, we’ve been in last place in the Volvo Ocean Race for most of that time.

But it’s not all bad news here on Groupama 4 as we prepare to exit the doldrums for the fourth and final time in this race. We’re enjoying near perfect sailing conditions in sunshine and heat along with a little breeze, most of the time.

We haven’t needed full oilskins at any stage so far except on a few occasions wearing top or bottom gear when the spray is up. Still, the sailing is so good that we have to remind ourselves constantly this is a race and remain concentrated.

That task hasn’t been helped by the fact for the last week we have been out of sight of the other four boats as we’ve trailed the leaders by up to 140 miles at times though we have clawed back that deficit.

How did we get into this situation? Well it isn’t anything to do with the boat or gear. We have no damage or similar issues nor are we likely to on this more benign leg from Brazil to Miami.

The fault for our performance lies squarely with ourselves. Although our start from Itajai in breeze wasn’t the most impressive, we were still quick for the first 24 hours and within reach of the leaders.

Ken Read on Puma showed the best form and led the pack away from the start and has held first place since.

It has become a leader’s race and we’re just waiting for the first chance to get back to the front of the fleet again.

Our error was not sailing in the correct mode to match the others with our sail plan as we opted to go offshore, a slightly longer route but likely to be safer for steady breeze.

Overall race leader Iker Martinez was with us, just a few miles ahead so it wasn’t an uncomfortable choice – at the time. Then the Spaniards caught a break with more wind and pulled ahead to rejoin the pack closer to the coast that had been an okay option for them after all.

And gradually, our deficit racked up to 100-plus miles.

Still, thanks to the doldrums at the equator, we’ve been able to sail faster than the fleet and gain some lost ground so we’re now about 80 miles behind.

More importantly, we are less than 10 miles behind Ian Walker on Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing in fourth place so we intend over-taking and start looking towards getting onto the podium by next week.

Traditionally, the trade winds are strong in this region and the lead boats should pick these up before us so they’ll probably extend again slightly. So far, we haven’t been becalmed in the doldrums so with a little luck we won’t lose much ground.

But the best news that’s giving us great hope is that a cold front has been forecast to cross quite far south into the Caribbean later this week that will effectively shut down the trade-winds.

This will be our chance to catch up properly, carrying the breeze in from the back of the fleet into a race restart situation. If this happens, all bets are off as to what will happen going into the finish in Miami.

What is pretty certain is that yet again we’re going to be later than the official estimated arrival date, possibly by as much as four days.

This isn’t going to affect our rations too much as we’ve built spare capacity into the provisions so we can manage. It is however, significantly reducing our time off for rest and recovery with family to prepare for the final three stages of the race.

Our foreshortened stop in New Zealand was followed by another brief stop in Brazil to deal with the damage that was widespread throughout the fleet, including stepping a new mast and rig for ourselves.

That means my holiday at home in Quebec with Suzy-Ann, Oisín and Neave will barely be a long weekend before returning to Florida for the leg restart just two weeks from this Saturday.

But for now, our thoughts are set on picking off the other boats one by one.

The Telefonica boys lead overall but there is also danger from Puma and Chris Nicholson’s Camper team so maximising our finishing position is essential.

There’s still a lot of race left so for the coming week, our result for leg six is going to depend on one thing: compression.