Big tactical decisions, rising temperatures and easing winds characterise the Americas Coast-to-Coast leg. Passing through the historic Panama Canal, one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, is also a unique and evocative experience.
The first big question is whether to take the inshore or offshore route. The Californian Current flows South, but the helping hand this gives can be counteracted by heating effects from the North American land mass which might change the winds unfavourably.
The race down to the coast of Mexico should be a fast one but as the breeze becomes lighter the racing becomes more intense. Conditions near the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone - or doldrums) could decide the final finishing positions off Panama.
Once the fleet has transited the 41 nautical miles of the Canal, surrounded by pristine tropical rain forest alive with wildlife, the yachts will set off on an upwind battle north.
Many sail changes will be required due to lighter winds near the Windward Passage between the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola, which mark the exit from the Caribbean Sea into the Atlantic Ocean. Wind will also be variable because of the depressions coming from the North American land mass.
Thunderstorms are likely to provide some spectacular backdrops with the air alive with static and lightning cracking into the sea around the finish line.