Dongfeng has escaped the VolvoOceanRace fleet.

An intermediate sprint in the Indian Ocean has given Dongfeng a comfortable lead of 65+Nm. 

Dongfeng in the Lead towards Banda Aceh mark, 15Jan 0900utc.

Last Day it looks like that Dongfeng had escaped from a region of weak winds, and closed the door behind them. Just before a major wind-shift, that forced all other boats to sail North, while Dongfeng was nicely sailing to the East where the next mark waits.  This gained them a large advance and with very weak winds, contrary to a strong NE monsoon wind, it is not likely that the following boats will pass them before the Banda Aceh mark that marks the often unsettled sailing through the Mallaca straits, contrary I foresee that Dongfeng will extend their lead in coming days. 

Dongfeng has now already for over a week the lead in the fleet that rounded the Southern tip of India where the fleet compacted.But as Dongfeng kept a lead, be it small, they benefitted as first of better winds and extended their lead again. This harmonica effect repeated itself at SriLanka mark, caused by the windshadow of the S.L. mountains and surprisingly repeated itself again in the middle between Sri Lanka and Sumatra; most likely the fleet will compact again in the Mallaca strait.

Dongfeng might initially not have been the favorite Boat, but with this strong sailing in Leg 3 (and lets not forget their good performance during the Leg 1 and Leg 2) , by now each sailor in or following the VolvoOceanRace is aware that Dongfeng is a strong contender in the race for the Victory in Stockholm.