Volvo Ocean Race: rivals set for thriller to Galway with leaders Telefonica looking over their shoulders Some are talking about a "big" system coming through during the early part of the leg which could make things hairy and dictate whether they head north making use of the Gulf Stream which could speed them up or veer immediately east straight to Portugal. Either way, they will face some wild weather with stormy seas and strong gusty winds until the last few days when they hit the Portuguese trade winds which should see speed come to the fore. PUMA skipper Ken Read was so gloomy about their prospects back in December that he sat down with sponsors after the dismasting on Leg 1 to realign their expectations from high to low. Today after two leg victories they are having to realign them again, this time from low to high. "We could be the dark horses here," said Read. The last leg, where Telefonica came fourth was disappointing Martinez said but it could have been worse. We could have lost the lead overall. That would have been a major blow. We're in a situation everyone else would love to be in - still leading, with a good team and boat. We have a good chance. Leading yes but for how much longer? Telefonica hit the ground running in Alicante while other crews were still getting to know their boats, an advantage that helped them rack up three consecutive leg wins. They have not won a leg since the third leg to China as the others discovered how to get the best from their boats and caught up. But Andrew Cape is the most experienced navigator in the fleet and they do have a classy crew so they remain strong contenders. Chris Nicholson's Camper have proved a gnarly lot and although their boat speed has at times been disappointing, they have produced remarkable consistency without actually securing a win. Three second places, one third and three fourths places them just four points behind Groupama. Franck Cammas's consistency has also served them well. "The overall victory is possible for us, yes, but also for PUMA, CAMPER and of course Telefónica," he said. Everything is possible. We'll have to sail better than we did on the last leg. We need to remember the good things we did and do them again. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing was ruled out of contention when they dismasted six hours into the race last November but will be keen to try and make it onto the podium before the legs are finished while Mike Sanderson's Sanya, bringing up the rear with just 25 points, vows to mix it up in Leg 7 to make life difficult for as many as possible. Like all the previous six legs, this one is set to be close and truly compelling.