Treacherous conditions have pummelled the annual Sydney to Hobart yacht race, forcing dozens of withdrawals as Black Jack led a tight battle for line honours.
Sunday’s starting fleet of 88 yachts for one of the world’s toughest ocean events was cut down to 59 by Monday afternoon, as competitors peeled off after suffering damage or minor injuries to crew.
A close scrap for line honours was being fought out at the front of the pack between super maxis Black Jack, SHK Scallywag, LawConnect and the slightly shorter 80-foot (24m) Stefan Racing.
Black Jack, skippered by Mark Bradford, was race leader as they headed into the Bass Strait.
“Last night wasn’t too bad, the breeze got up a bit and it was pretty wet for a while. We managed to get through,” Ty Oxley, captain of LawConnect, said.