IT has been a case of mixed fortunes for south coast sailors as the Volvo Ocean Race reached half distance in Auckland

Hamble-based Neal McDonald was the hero, leading his Assa Abloy VO 60 to victory in the third leg of what is widely recognised as the toughest race on earth.

Hamble-based McDonald, 38, was only hired by the Swedish outfit, as helmsman/trimmer a matter of weeks from the start of the race in Southampton on September 23 last year.

But he was rapidly elevated to skipper when incumbent Roy Heiner left the team in Cape Town after a disappointing fifth place in the longest leg of nine - the 7,350 nautical mile passage from the south coast to South Africa.

McDonald flirted with immediate success, leading twice in the 6,550 nm Southern Ocean leg to Sydney, falling back to finish in sixth place.

But with a rejuvenated outfit and what many observers consider the fastest of the eight VO 60s in the inaugural Volvo round-the-world Race which replaced the Whitbread for the first time last year, he bounced back.

McDonald's influence was clear when Assa Abloy took line honours in the notorious Sydney to Hobart Race, before extending its advantage by winning the third Volvo leg, from Sydney to Auckland on January 3.

Speaking following a few days of reflection in New Zealand after welcoming in his wife Lisa, who is skipper on the all-female Amer Sports Too into Auckland Harbour, he said: "I think my contribution has been to pull all the strands together.

"All the components were already there, great crew, fantastic sponsors and shore crew, and a fast boat, so perhaps I have just brought some direction and focus, which has helped unlock the massive potential of the outfit."

He added: "It's a bit like sailing with 11 friends, very unusual in professional sailing. We have developed a sort of telepathic relationship and, of course, confidence is now high."

Looking ahead to this weekend's restart from Auckland, working with a multi-national crew with seven nationalities among the 12, McDonald was cautious.

"Winning Sydney to Hobart was great and the third leg of the Volvo fantastic. But there is a lot of sailing left yet, and this race is so competitive, truly world class.

"We've tasted some success, we want more, but we have to work tirelessly, prepare well and race hard, and hope for good luck. Then we'll see where we are at the end of the next leg in Rio de Janiero."

Joining skipper McDonald on Assa Abloy is Lymington bowman, Jason Carrington, who was also the team's construction manager.

But the 32-year-old played little part in the Hobart to Auckland stretch, falling ill just a day out, along with watch leader Magnus Olsson, reducing McDonald to 10 fit men.

"That makes the achievement even greater," said the now-restored Carrington. "What those ten guys did was remarkable, and when we are back to full-strength, who knows what we'll achieve."

Meanwhile, Southampton's Steve Hayles, navigator on Team Tyco, enjoyed an upturn in fortunes following their withdrawal from the second leg with rudder failure.

The Bermuda-registered Tyco achieved a podium finish with third place in Auckland.

In one of the closest finishes in the 30-year history of the race, Tyco beat off both illbruck Challenge and Team News Corp, skippered by Lymington-man Jez Fanstone - six minutes covered all three in an epic battle for third, fourth and fifth places.

"It was really tough out there, relentless sailing for two days solid, and we had an opportunity and the cards fell our way," said Carrington.

"After the disappointment of the second leg, we really needed a podium finish, which we got, so we are absolutely delighted."

Less ebullient in Auckland was Southampton's Abigail Seager on Amer Sports Too.

With both rudder and rigging damage sustained during a Sydney to Hobart Race, which even included a tornado and attendant waterspout, the all-girl outfit was 36 hours behind sixth place djuice from Norway, with Team SEB reduced to last place, having withdrawn from the leg with the scourge of the fleet, a broken rudder.

"To say that was tough was an understatement," said the 23-year-old Seager, the second youngest competitor of the 97 in the fleet.

"But you really have no alternative but to tough it out and, considering our problems, we're not too disappointed."

Leg four of the race leaves Auckland on Sunday for the 6,700 nm passage back across the Southern Ocean and the infamous Cape Horn with the leaders expected into Rio de Janeiro around February 19.