Sailing: Blair Tuke's hands show wear from Volvo Ocean Race

Blair Tuke's hands show the attrition of 12 days straight sailing during the Volvo Ocean Race. The "reverse mohawk" was part of a sacrifice to King Neptune. Photo / Volvo Ocean Race

Blair Tuke's hands tell a tale of attrition.

The Kerikeri sailor has been sailing with Mapfre in the Volvo Ocean Race and the conditions are starting to take a bit of a toll on his hands.

Twelve days into a 21-day leg from Lisbon to Cape Town, Tuke's hands are visibly blistered with a lot of skin missing.

Tuke is being utilised as a trimmer and helmsman on the race leader's boat but it appears that role is having an effect on his body.

Speaking to volvooceanrace.com during the second leg of the world race, Tuke said the trimmer role was an important one.

"Trimming the boat is really a key part of the race," he said.

"We have to make sure the trim is right and get that last little bit of speed. So far we're going all right but we want to get it going just a bit faster again."

To go with losing skin on his hands, Tuke recently was given an initiation haircut as part of a long-standing Volvo Ocean Race tradition.

Tuke and fellow New Zealander Peter Burling gave up strips of hair in sacrifices to King Neptune as they made their equator crossings for the first time in the round-the-world yacht race.

Sailors who have not yet crossed from one hemisphere to another are called "pollywogs", the scientific name for tadpoles, and are at the mercy of their more seasoned crew mates.

Tuke was given a "reverse Mohawk" for his inaugural crossing.

"I've given a bit of hair away in an offering. It's good to have my first equator crossing under my belt," he said.

Tuke currently has the wood over his Olympic gold medallist and America's Cup teammate Burling as they head into the back half of the second leg of the prestigious race.

Burling's Dutch entry Team Brunel chose to go into "stealth mode" which cloaks their position from their rivals for 24 hours.

Team Brunel were sitting second on the leaderboard behind Mapfre before going into "stealth mode". Mapfre held a 35-nautical mile lead over them but the tactic could put them within striking distance of the leaders going into the final third of the second leg.

Keeping warm will be the next big challenge for all teams as they close in on the latitude of the Roaring Forties.

This were getting their first taste of the Southern Ocean where freezing water, mountainous waves and strong, icy breezes are common obstacles.

"In the last 24 hours we've gone from shorts and T-shirts to boots, warm socks, thermals and dry suits," Mapfre's Sophie Ciszek said.

"There's definitely a chill in the air. It's going to get windy over the next 24 to 36 hours, and being wet makes it worse."