Wind conditions are forecast to improve for Team Russia as they soldier on towards the finish line for leg two of the Volvo Ocean Race.

The team is currently battling very light and variable winds, but the forecast is for the breeze to build as a Northeasterly funnels between the tip of the subcontinent and Sri Lanka. The stronger conditions, if they materialise, will help bring the team to the southern tip of India, where hopefully, they can utilise the heating effect of the land and the sea breezes that generate.

At 04:00 GMT, Team Russia had 334 miles to run to the finish and weather routing software has the team due to arrive just after midnight, GMT, on Thursday the 4th December, or with the sunrise, local time.

Seeing all of the teams ahead of you finish whilst you still have days left at sea can't be easy, and Nick Bubb, elevated to watch captain for this leg, described the challenge in a blog from the boat:

"So the last few days have been pretty uneventful, highlights however include managing to swim all the way round the yacht whilst sailing, in the loosest sense of the word, over the equator, and managing a staggeringly poor 34 miles in one 24 hour period whilst battling a 2 knot equatorial current in an average windspeed of 2 knots.

"There have been some pretty serious discussions onboard over whether the ‘professional' thing to do would be to retire and start motoring towards a rendezvous point for a fuel pick up and/or stronger breeze. This has become a consideration due to the seemingly strange rule that you get the same number of points for finishing last as you do for retiring. Right now all I can say is that I'm glad this race is not judged on cumulative time!

"Anyway personally I've been very anti this idea and thankfully this was the decision the crew came to as a team too. Of course we may have to reconsider if we park up for another five days. We are hoping and praying that we will get in on the 4th December as we only have a few days food left but in reality we can hold out for another six days.

"The only issue is that cuts into our preparation time for the next leg, which starts on the Saturday 13th December, and we have quite a long job list for Cochin! Anyway right now we are sailing at 10 knots in a decent breeze which looks something like the forecast, the first time in a looooooong time! We expect further tricky conditions on the final stretch along the Indian coast, which are currently holding up the bulk of the fleet but I'm confident we are out of the worst times...

"We are all focused on getting this tough situation dealt with as painlessly as possible then recuperating and hitting the line running a week or so later. Some of the guys are rushing home for a few days with family whilst most of the younger guys are planning on a few days sightseeing before getting back into race mode and ensuring we are as ready as can be."