Yachting: Big three vie for early Sydney-Hobart lead

SYDNEY - Big boats Skandia, New Zealand entry Konica Minolta and Nicorette shared the early lead in the 60th Sydney-Hobart yacht race today but the fleet of 115 boats was preparing for bad weather as it approaches Bass Strait.

The $A5 million ($NZ5.43 million) Nicorette, untried since its launch three weeks ago, snatched the early lead but was soon joined by the bigger Skandia and Konica Minolta as the fleet headed out into the Tasman Sea in the annual 630-nautical mile race.

Super maxis Skandia and Konica Minolta, then known as Zana, engaged in an enthralling battle in last year's race, sailing within sight of each other before Australia's Skandia triumphed by just 14 minutes after more than two days at sea.

New Zealander Stewart Thwaites' Konica Minolta has been tipped to reverse that result over his Australian rival this year after a series of impressive warm-up races.

The leaders were desperately trying to cover as much distance as possible before two predicted southwesterly changes slam into the fleet somewhere near Bass Strait between the Australian mainland and the southern island state of Tasmania tomorrow.

Meteorologists had earlier warned the sailors to expect galeforce winds averaging between 40 and 50 knots and with gusts of up to 60 knots as well as huge seas averaging between six and nine metres when the change hits.

While difficult, conditions were not expected to be as bad as those during the 1998 race, when six sailors died and five boats sank after 80 knot winds and mountainous seas hammered the fleet.

Forecasts were modified slightly today with the peak wind speed lowered to between 35 and 45 knots but sailors were warned to be prepared for unseasonably cold conditions at sea with hail squalls possible.

"It is still going to be cold, windy and miserable," Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Peter Dunda said.

The possibility of severe weather meant that a New South Wales state police emergency vessel had been assigned to follow the fleet for the first time, police said today.

This year's fleet is the biggest in 10 years. Fleet numbers had been well down after stringent and expensive new safety measures were imposed on competitors after the 1998 race.

Earlier this week, organisers said that boats would not be ordered to abandon the race if the weather becomes extreme, with the decision on whether to continue resting with individual skippers.

- REUTERS