HOBART, Australia (AP) — New Zealand maxi Alfa Romeo maintained its lead in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race Monday as the line honors contenders sailed down the east coast of Tasmania to an expected evening finish.
Alfa Romeo, skippered by Neville Crichton and taking advantage of an early breeze Sunday that his competitors failed to catch, held a 20-nautical-mile (23-mile, 37-kilometer) lead over four-time and defending champion Wild Oats XI of Australia.
British entry ICAP Leopard, which was in second place for much of the race that began Saturday, fell behind to third, several nautical miles behind Wild Oats in the race which covers 628 nautical miles (723 miles, 1,163 kilometers).
At midday Monday, Alfa Romeo had just over 100 nautical miles (115 miles, 185 kilometers) to the finish line at Constitution Dock in Hobart.
ICAP Leopard owner and skipper Mike Slade said he would be surprised if Alfa Romeo didn't capture line honors.
"At the moment if your money is on Alfa then you are a happy bunny," Slade said, adding that the New Zealand boat got its break midmorning Sunday.
"There was no breeze whatsoever and it's always the case that someone will get that puff.
"Wild Oats didn't get it, we didn't get it, and Alfa was on the right side of it to get it and off they went, putting 10 miles on us very, very quickly."
Alfa Romeo finished second to Wild Oats in 2005, the yacht's only other Sydney to Hobart, before Wild Oats' four-year reign.
Wild Oats skipper Mark Richards said this year's race was a "role reversal" of 2005.
"We were just a little unfortunate this morning to get left in a hole before the nor-easter built," Richard said Sunday. "Alfa Romeo got going well before us and basically put 15 to 20 miles on us before we knew what had happened. That's just the way yachting goes."
The race record was set in 2005 when Wild Oats XI finished in 1 day, 18 hours, 40 minutes.
There have been five retirements from the 100-yacht field, including maxi Etihad Stadium. The expected line honors contender had problems with rigging on a new mast and didn't make it out of Sydney Harbor.
