Australian maxi Alfa Romeo was ahead by about 8km as it led the Sydney-Hobart fleet into the notoriously rough Bass Strait yesterday, where strong winds were expected to slow the fleet.
After a chaotic start, Sydney-based New Zealand businessman Neville Crichton's state-of-the-art Alfa Romeo led the fleet out of Sydney Harbour on Thursday for the grueling 630 nautical mile (1,1167km) race south down Australia's east coast.
Just over a day later the carbon fibre Alfa Romeo had traveled about 443km and led British super maxi Canon Leopard by about 8km miles as they entered Bass Strait between the Australian mainland and the island state of Tasmania.
Crichton's sleek gray Alfa Romeo and Canon Leopard were followed into Bass Strait by maxi Australian Skandia Wild Thing and Swedish maxi Nicorette, the winner of the 2000 Sydney-Hobart.
Nicorette lost considerable time when bowman Mitch White hit his head and was knocked unconscious while working on the boat's mast. Race officials said White was not seriously hurt.
There was some doubt later on yesterday about the position of Canon Leopard, which at 29.5m is the biggest boat in the 55-strong fleet. British businessman Mike Slade told race officials his boat was about 8km behind Alfa Romeo but a mid-afternoon radio position report had Canon Leopard as far back as fourth.
Race spokesman Peter Campbell said the discrepancy was likely because Canon Leopard had separated from the lead boats and was sailing close to the rhumb line, the straightest route from the start to finish, while the other boats were at least 80km east further out to sea.
Campbell said the lead boats were sailing under spinnaker in northeasterly winds of up to 14 knots.
The fleet had been reaching in easterly winds for almost a day, wiping out any chance of a challenge to the race record of one day, 19 hours, 48 minutes and two seconds set by Danish flyer Nokia in 1999.
A southerly change had been forecast for later yesterday and today, making for a potentially difficult crossing of Bass Strait, but Campbell said by telephone from Hobart there was no sign yet of the change arriving.
The first boats were expected to finish either late today or early tomorrow, Campbell said.
Fifty-seven boats started in heavy rain, mist and poor visibility on Thursday but that number was quickly reduced when two yachts were badly damaged in separate collisions. Australian 13m yacht Valheru was left with a gaping hole and almost sank after it was hit by joint French-Australian entrant Peugeot Racing.
A Valheru crewman was thrown overboard in the collision but was quickly rescued unhurt.
Australia's Trump Card also pulled out with a holed stern after it was hit by Sydney boat Loki seconds after the start. A Trump Card crewman was also rescued unhurt after he was knocked overboard in that collision.
The starting fleet was the smallest since 1973, mainly due to increased insurance costs imposed after six sailors died when freak storms hit the 1998 race.
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