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The Spanish boat ramps up the pressure for “Puma”, the provisional leg leader, moving to just two miles away with just 70 miles left to finish, estimated at 20:00 UTC

It could go any way... The fifth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race has certainly thrown up a surprise or two and with just 24 hours of the leg to go, Iker Martínez's “Telefónica” may even add the cherry to this cake by moving into the lead. At 13:00 UTC the Spanish boat is less than one mile from “Puma”, the provisional leg leader, currently grappling to maintain a lead that could very easily slip out of their hands.

As the Spanish team's MCM Diego Fructuoso confirmed from on board the boat: “It looks like these last miles are going to be very tricky and this is where we hope we'll get our chance.” There are just 47 miles between the boats and the finishing line at Itajaí (Brazil), the destination port of a leg which according to Brazilian Joca Signorini has been “very tough, too tough”. Although the boats are in the Atlantic and in theory should be enjoying lighter conditions than they experienced in the Southern Ocean, “last night we reached the height of the border with Brazil, which means that there's not long to go until we finish the leg. It really has been a tough entrance, because we hit two squalls and strong winds. At the first one we had winds of up to fifty knots,” explained Diego Fructuoso in his daily report.

However, despite the difficult conditions experienced aboard “Telefónica”, there will be no letting up on the hunt for the American “Puma”. Iker Martínez and his crew have been clawing back miles non-stop on Ken Read's boat since yesterday at 17:00 UTC, moving to just 0.9 miles away at today's 13:00 UTC position report. The boat has yet again made a spectacular climb over the past 24 hour run, cutting down the gap by 62.5 miles.

The night saw “Telefónica” and “Puma” play out two very different strategies and whilst the Americans moved dangerously close to the coastline, the Spanish team headed out to sea, translating into average speeds some 12 knots faster than Ken Read's boat could manage.

“At last we've got the fractional spinnaker up and we're sailing very fast downwind. We're making average speeds topping 20 knots and there's a lot of water on deck. The good thing is that the water's warm, so it's pleasant. Right now we're making a good few miles on our rival 'Puma'. We're all confident that the boat can stand up and that we'll get even closer. I imagine that we've also got a difficult night in store. We'll all be ready for whatever might happen,” concluded Fructuoso in his daily report.

And the finish will be in…

Light winds could play a leading role in what's set to be a thrilling finish. For now and according to latest estimates, it looks like “Telefónica” could reach the port between 19:00 UTC today and 05:00 UTC tomorrow morning, so it also looks like the American and Spanish teams will be going head to head at the finishing line.

Joca comes home

Aboard “Telefónica” there's a certain crewmember who is much more eager to finish this leg than the rest: Joca Signorini is going home: “Getting to Brazil is going to be very special for me. I'm sure that Itajaí has prepared a great party and I'm sure a few of my friends are there too. My mother said she'd come too and it'll be a great surprise for me as it's been a long time since I've been back to Brazil. There's not long to go now...”

said the Brazilian sailor, with under 70 miles to go until he steps off onto dry land.

PROVISIONAL RANKINGS LEG 5

AUCKLAND (NEW ZEALAND) – ITAJAÍ (BRAZIL): 6,705 miles

Day 20 – 13:00 UTC – 6^th April 2012

1. Puma Ocean Racing (Ken Read), 46 miles from finish

2. Team Telefónica (Iker Martínez), +0.9 miles

Groupama sailing team (Franck Cammas), suspended racing

Camper with Emirates Team New Zealand (Chris Nicholson), suspended racing

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing (Ian Walker), DNF

Team Sanya (Mike Sanderson), DNF