British yachtswoman Dee Caffari was preparing to lead her Volvo Ocean Race team through the middle of the world’s second-largest barrier reef on Thursday in a bid to defend first place in Leg 6 as the finish line draws nearer.

Caffari said she will thread her Turn the Tide on Plastic crew through the Grand Passage, a narrow gap in the barrier reef surrounding the South Pacific island chain of New Caledonia, in the hunt for the tiniest of time advantages.

Turn the Tide on Plastic moved into pole position on Wednesday as the 6,100-mile leg from Hong Kong to Auckland entered its final 1,500 miles.

Under pressure from rival crews Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag and team AkzoNobel, some 40 miles west, Caffari and her navigator Brian Thompson opted for the bold move in the hope of gaining around 90 minutes.

As well as sailing a shorter course, Caffari is hoping her crew will be best positioned for the coming breeze when it arrives from the east.

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