As the seven competing teams race to the finish line in Cape Town, Team Brunel opted to go into stealth mode. The Dutch crew cloaked their position for up to 24 hours. They were behind leaders MAPFRE by 35 nautical miles but then they decided to switch tacticals and go hidden around 0700 UTC.

The southerly boat crew benefitted from being the furthest from the Brazilian coastline as they rose in rankings from the last to the second place. The team decided to take the gamble just as MAPFRE is set to face the easterly-moving cold front. The northerly winds are expected to be around 30 knots as the team comes within a few hundred miles from their target. Towards Cape Town, there should be ideal conditions for fast sailing.

Eventually, Brunel switched tactics at 2200 UTC as the team navigator Andrew Cape earlier wanted a southerly route. The stealth move that was supposed to help them get past MAPFRE into the lead rather ruined their rankings as they dropped into fourth place.

MAPFRE continued strongly in the lead while Dongfeng entered second place. The race director for the team Bruno Dubois said their summer experiences helped them know how to make a boat go faster in the breeze. It helps them with half a knot in performance but it is crucial. Dubois said the MAPFRE team was doing the same thing to maintain their lead.

Vestas 11th Hour placed third while AkzoNobe finished behind Brunel after Leg 2. Scallywag and Turn The Tide On Plastic followed, in that order.