ABN Amro has been in the news for plenty of bad reasons recently so it's a pleasure to report some good news. The yacht ABN Amro One was leading the field in the second leg of the Volvo Ocean Race, with ABN Amro Two in third place, at the end of last week.

That's a pretty impressive achievement. After just over two days into leg two of the race, the heavy seas were taking their toll on the yachts and crews. Two of the entries have had to return to South Africa with damage caused by the appalling conditions. The skipper of one of the rival yachts said: "The last 12 hours has been like living inside a washing machine, bashing and smashing into the waves."