Image: It's thumbs up from Punta del Este

There are three remaining Clipper Race teams on the way to Fremantle. Punta del Este, Unicef and Visit Sanya, China have been making excellent progress with all bows steadily edging towards their destination.

On board Visit Sanya, China, Skipper Seumas Kellock reports “The forecast low has come over us now and is giving us a steady 25 knots of breeze, which is a nice change from the last few days, where we’ve had anything from 15 to 30 knots and lots of squalls mixed in there as well.”

The reports from the Skippers mirror the state of mind on board, and their thoughts, as they approach the final 800nm of their race. A time for reflection and learning as they end this race and look forward to the next, has been a common theme during their blogs on Day 29 of the Marlow Southern Ocean Sleigh Ride.

Jeronimo Santos Gonzalez of Punta del Este said: “We have learned from our mistakes, and we focus on what is important and we move on to a positive happy state.”

Unicef Skipper, Ian Wiggan said: “It is amazing what some sunshine and perfect sailing conditions can do to kick start the day. Trying to get people off the helm this morning is like trying to call a go-cart in off the track. Based on the whoops and hollas, it sounds like a lot of fun is being had on deck. Excitement levels are high generally.”

In contemplation mode, he added: “As a crew, we are vigilant, we continually train, we review and we are trying to reduce mistakes as we know that besides safety, they will also affect our overall competitiveness. I am proud of how far we have come as a team since leaving London, we must keep learning, and we will persevere.”

The latest ETAs have been published and Punta del Este look set to arrive Thursday 19 December from 1200 - 1800 Local time. On day 17 of their crossing, Skipper Jeronimo Santos Gonzalez, is characteristically upbeat explaining: “There are moments that make one love this experience; having a fly-by from an enormous Albatros, seeing whales feeding, the colours of the ocean, the raw massive power of the ocean, crew reaching a milestone, food made with love, the heads nice and clean, and working well as a team.”

Finally, looking forward to their time in port, Race 5 start and celebrating a festive time at sea Seumas Kellock, Skipper of the Visit Sanya, China team said: “The crew are getting excited to get into Fremantle and have a well earned day off and also thinking about Christmas at sea, what we're going to eat and do on, what will be most people's first, Christmas at sea.”

All teams are excited for their arrival to Fremantle, you can keep up with their progress in closing few days via the Race Viewer and read the individual crew stories on the team hub on the The Clipper Race website.