Just over one nautical mile separated the three leading yachts in the Sydney to Hobart race on Saturday, with New Zealand's Alfa Romeo edging into the lead early on the first evening. Alfa Romeo, skippered by Neville Crichton, was ahead of four-time and defending champion Wild Oats XI, followed by Britain's ICAP Leopard, which had given up its early lead. “It looks like they (Leopard) are starting to struggle a bit in the easing breeze,” Alfa Romeo navigator Tom Addis said. Leopard, twice winner of the Fastnet ocean race, is a heavier boat and sails better in stronger winds. With forecast of light winds, none of the leading yachts was expected to break the race record. The first yachts were due to reach Hobart, on the island state of Tasmania, Monday. The record came in 2005 when Wild Oats XI, skippered by Mark Richards, finished the 628-nautical-mile (723-mile, 1,163-km) race in a record 1 day, 18 hours, 40 minutes, after crossing the line at Constitution Dock in Hobart. The yacht is seeking its fifth straight win in the annual race, first held in 1945. Alfa Romeo took advantage of a spinnaker problem on board Wild Oats to take the lead out of Sydney Harbour. Leopard, skippered by Mike Slade, was third to sail between Sydney Heads and into open ocean. Etihad Stadium, formerly known as Skandia, only just made the start after transporting and installing a replacement mast from England. Skipper Grant Wharington spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the repairs, but a problem with the rigging in the new mast forced him to retire the boat before it even left the harbor. The race has been hit by severe storms in the past. In 1998, six sailors died and seven boats sank during a storm that hit the fleet early on the first night of the race. In 2007, eight sailors had to abandon a sinking vessel and three others were airlifted to hospital with injuries.
