Spanish team Telefonica surged past Puma to take the lead in the Volvo Ocean Race yesterday, dealing the American team a low as the first leg entered its third week.

Puma had led going over the equator and into the South Atlantic on the 7,500-mile first leg from Alicante, Spain, to Cape Town, but a better choice of line has given Telefonica the advantage.

With more than 2,500 miles to go, Telefonica's lead of just around 15 miles is far from insurmountable, but Puma skipper Ken Read said his team is now an underdog.

"We got our butts handed to us today by Telefonica and by Mother Nature," Read wrote from the boat.

While Telefonica's easterly line gave them strong wind, Puma were caught without any breeze at all at times on a frustrating day.