Sports story by Gareth Bowman, Tue, 27 Dec 2005 00:04:00 GMT


SYDNEY, Australia - The 61st annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race is tantalizingly poised with Alfa Romeo leading the race, albeit with a narrow lead over Wild Oats XI as the race headed off Wollongong in the afternoon today.

Skandia and New Zealand super maxi Konica Minolta were also in the race, but expectations of a race record were somewhat dimmed by the morning's weather forecast. Wild Oats began as a favorite since it barged out of the Sydney Heads ahead of Alfa Romeo.

Both these super maxis appeared to have opened up a huge gap between themselves and the others, but Skandia made up to come within touching distance for the third spot. But with windy weather forecast over the next 36 hours, it is possible that a record can be broken. Race spokesman Jim Gale was of the opinion that the conditions bode well for line and handicap records, "You could easily see the first treble since the very first race. You could easily see a record, first across the line and also winning on handicap," he said.

This quest for the record is also helped by a major rule change in the race which does not have a speed limit. This means that sailors have an unlimited usage of water ballast, sail area, canting or swinging keels and mast heights. This should ideally help create new records for the fastest among them.

Both Alfa Romeo and Wild Oats are tipped as favorites, but the crew downplayed their own chances, Alfa Romeo navigator Murray Spence said, "We want to beat the rest of the field, that is our primary concern." On the other side Mark Richards of the Wild Oats voiced similar thoughts, "I'm not sure how the other boats are going to go, but I am sure the two (super maxis) are going to be stuck like glue".

Around 85 yachts are competing in this year's Sydney-Hobart race.

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