With Wild Oats XI headed for line honours in the Sydney to Hobart, wild weather forced the withdrawal of 12 yachts from the race on Monday.
With Wild Oats XI headed for line honours in the Sydney to Hobart, wild weather forced the withdrawal of 12 yachts from the race on Monday.
Crews reported winds of up to 50 knots along the NSW south coast and in Bass Strait as the field was whittled down to 74 vessels.
The most serious incident involved Victorian yacht Bacardi, which suffered a broken mast near Batemans Bay, putting search and rescue crews on standby.
It was due to arrive in Ulladulla late on Monday night.
Wild Oats, the four-time winner and line honours favourite, was halfway across Bass Strait, leading Investec LOYAL by around 20 nautical miles, while NSW yacht Lahana was a further six miles back.
Navigator Adrienne Cahalan said the seas had been "violent and awful".
"We have spent the entire day trying to protect the yacht from damage and the crew from injury," she said.
"It's been an enormous challenge and every one of us has been roughed up."
Cahalan said skipper Mark Richards prevented serious damage.
"Because of Ricko's approach we've had no breakages and everyone is OK - a bit battered and bruised, but OK," she said.
"In these conditions it's extremely difficult keeping a boat this size and this fast from not launching off one wave and crashing into the next.
"When you do it's like a truck hitting a wall."
The strong southwesterly is expected to ease on Tuesday, with Wild Oats predicted to arrive in Hobart around 9pm.
The race for handicap honours heated up on Monday, with the lead changing several times.
Shogun, a 52-footer skippered by Geelong's Rob Hanna, finished the day with a narrow lead over its NSW rival Loki and WA's Limit.
YuuZoo, the 90-foot maxi which won line honours as Nicorette in 2004, withdrew on Monday, having already endured a shocking run of luck.
Two crew members spent 10 minutes in the sea on Sunday night before flooding was discovered in the forward compartment.
Skipper and owner Ludde Ingvall said his worst fears were realised when Greg Homann and Will Mueller fell into the water.
"It's a nightmare for a skipper to have two guys off the boat," he said.
"If anything was wrong with the boat at that moment, then you'd struggle to get back. Fortunately, everybody did what they were supposed to and we got back."
The yacht finally retired at 3.25pm (AEDT) on Monday because of damage to her headsail as she entered Bass Strait.
Brindabella, which claimed line honours in 1999, suffered a torn mainsail while in Bass Strait and headed back to Sydney.
NSW yacht Dodo reported a crewman with a broken arm and headed for Eden, but was expected to continue racing.
Meanwhile, Colin Apps, a crewman onboard 40-foot NSW yacht She, suffered a knock to the head and was taken to Shoalhaven Hospital, where he remains in a stable condition.
A treacherous hour off the NSW coast saw Victorian entry Shamrock withdraw with rudder damage, NSW yacht Swish quit with a failing radio, while Southern Excellence (NSW) retired because of rig failure.
Wot Eva, the Sydney-based vessel of the Sailors with disABILITIES organisation, had a fuel leak and retired at 3.55pm, opting not to attempt the Bass Strait crossing.
Tasmanian yacht Alchemy III didn't make it as far and retired with boom damage, while Victorian entrant Scarlet Runner pulled out at 8.30pm after the crew attempted to repair her sail in Eden.
Victorian yachts Calm and Scarlet Runner were the latest entrants to fall on Monday night, retiring in port at Eden.
