Team Russia today announced it has suspended racing upon arrival in Singapore at the end of Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race due to insufficient funds to continue the campaign.

Christmas is approaching and as to our Russian cold New Year with its new year tree, it is simply impossible to imagine it here 250 miles off the equator. Everywhere around you see a huge amount of ocean water and the sky and the scorching sun, and the white A1, which covers half of the horizon and small fishing boats of Indonesian fishermen in the distance.

Sergey Bogdanov brings us his diary of his first experiences as a Volvo Ocean Race media crew and life on board Kosatka.

Mark Covell - at home in bed with man flu, reflects on coming back to “real life”.

Wouter Verbraak Team Russia’s navigator has been speaking about the light wind condition they have experience over the last few days and the unsettled weather systems ahead.

So the daggerboards that have been mostly dead weight so far in the race are now getting a chance to do their bit. Codes zero’s are max trimmed in, and I don’t think we will see the traveller much below centreline over the next days.

As the boat leaves the dock in Cochin, Team Russia talk about how they have prepared the boat and themselves to tackle what is expected to be a light, fluky, upwind leg, with plenty of potential pitfalls along the way.

Scott Gray and Sergey Bogdanov join Kostaka for leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race. 

Team Russia brings in Moscow-based yachting photographer Sergey Bogdanov (45) as media crew member on Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race.  Sergey trained extensively with the Team in the UK prior to the start of the race whilst running his own photo agency in Russia.

Simon Rosier, Team Russia’s own winch doctor, is one of the technical shore team called into action at each stopover.  His job is to check, service and overhaul the winch, gearbox and hardware systems on board the Volvo Open 70.