Yachting: Volvo yachts keep lead in rough Sydney-Hobart

SYDNEY - Volvo around-the-world boats continued to dominate the Sydney to Hobart yacht race today after a violent storm slammed into the fleet, knocking favourite Nicorette on its side and forcing nine yachts out.

Volvo-class 18m yachts competing in the 630-nautical mile Sydney to Hobart race 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.

By about 2 pm today (NZ time), Volvo race leader illbruck had sailed past overnight leader Tyco after racing neck-and-neck for most of the first 24 hours in strong south-westerly winds.

German-backed illbruck won the first two legs of the Volvo race from Southampton and Cape Town. Tyco of Bermuda was forced out of the second leg with a broken rudder.

Swedish entry Assa Abloy was third 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 at the scheduled early morning radio position report.

Australian downwind flyer Grundig, an 18m of similar design to the Volvo boats, was the best placed yacht outside the Volvo competitors and was in seventh place off Montague 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 galeforce winds hit the fleet in Bass Strait last year.

- NZPA