Going through Furnaces will be something unforgettable for these twenty-first century gladiators.

The seven teams that make up the fleet of the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 face this weekend the departure of one of the most emblematic stages of the ocean sail, which will take you from Auckland (New Zealand) to Itajai (Brazil).

This seventh stage is a mythical challenge to the South Ocean; a marathon of 7,600 nautical miles through the Fifty Aulantes, the inhospites and remote waters to the south of the 50 degrees of latitude surrounding Antarctica, around the fearsome Cape Horn.

Stage 7 has a double score, with an additional point given to the first boat passing through Cape Horn. With so many points at stake, this classic stage of the South Ocean, a return to the origins of the race, will be decisive in the classification.

The Ice Exclusion Zone for Stage 7 is located very south, at 59 degrees South. In theory, this will shorten the distance that ships need to do, and will accelerate the stage. But it has a price: a glacial cold, huge waves and very long winds.

Stage 7 will start at 14: 00 local time in Auckland, (01: 00 UTC) on Sunday, March 18.