Yachting: Round-the-world boats lead Sydney-Hobart

9.50 am

SYDNEY - Volvo round-the-world yachts continue to dominate the Sydney-Hobart race after a violent storm slammed into the fleet, knocking favourite Nicorette on its side and forcing seven yachts out.

Volvo-class 60-footers (18 metre) competing in the 630-nautical mile Sydney-Hobart as part of the third leg of their race around the world filled the top six places after a torrid opening stretch down Australia's east coast.

Tyco maintained her overnight lead as the fleet battled strong southwesterly winds and was just ahead of the German yacht illbruck at a scheduled early morning radio position report today, race officials said.

Tyco was forced out of the second leg of the round-the-world race with a broken rudder.

Illbruck won the first two legs of the Volvo race from Southampton and Cape Town and was ahead of Swedish entry Assa Abloy as the fleet headed for the notoriously rough Bass Strait between the Australian mainland and the island state of Tasmania.

Australian entry News Corp, which upstaged her bigger rivals to be the first yacht out of Sydney Harbour yesterday, was in fourth place ahead of Norway's djuice.

Australian downwind flyer Grundig, a 60-footer of similar design to the Volvo boats, was the best placed yacht outside the round-the- world competitors and was in seventh place off Montagu Island, about 160 nautical miles south of Sydney.

Swedish maxi Nicorette, the defending champion and a heavy pre-race favourite, was in ninth place after surrendering her lead in a fierce hailstorm late yesterday. Australian maxi Brindabella was 11th.

Nicorette was leading when she was knocked on her side during what skipper Ludde Ingvall likened to a "twister" and what race officials described as a water spout or mini tornado.

Her crew dropped all sails in a bid to minimise damage but surrendered her lead to the Volvo boats.

Despite the 23-member crew's efforts, Nicorette's mainsail was extensively damaged. The crew was able to replace the damaged sail and Nicorette began slogging her way through south-westerly winds of 25-30 knots back towards the front of the fleet.

"It has just been one of the most awesome experiences in my life," Ingvall said of the storm. "There were 100-knot winds and we were just dragged into it."

Ingvall vowed never to sail the Sydney-Hobart again after gale-force winds hit the fleet in Bass Strait last year.

Australian Skandia, which finished second to Nicorette last year known as Wild Thing, became the first headline casualty when she suffered extensive sail damage in yesterday's storm.

Grant Wharington's boat had been one of only a handful considered capable of stopping Nicorette's bid for back-to-back line honours.

Seven yachts have now withdrawn from the starting fleet of 75.

SAP Ausmaid, which won the race on handicap in 1996 and 2000, and fellow Australian yacht Secret Men's Business were dismasted within 30 minutes of each other early on Thursday.

Broomstick, a former round-the-world yacht, also pulled out overnight with rigging damage.

Martin James, vice-commodore of host club The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, said strong warnings remained in place for the fleet through today.

"They'll be sailing in 25 to 30 knot winds today as they head down towards Bass Strait," James said.

This year's fleet was the smallest in 28 years, due in part to the rising costs in insurance and mandatory safety equipment which stem from the tragic 1998 race, when six sailors died in appalling weather conditions across Bass Strait.

- REUTERS