Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race Sunday morning update

12:02 AM Sun 4 Apr 2010 GMT

'Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race Image courtesy Scott Gelston - Examiner Newspaper' Three Peaks Race

The pre-race favourite in the Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race has retired with equipment damage and crew fatigue.

Westbury-Mersey Pharmacy, skippered by Devonport's Terry Travers, anchored in Binalong Bay on Tasmania's north-east coast overnight to assess a damaged halyard and broken steering compass. This morning the crew decided to retire from the race and head to St Helens.

Travers' retirement has left two crews battling it out for top spot: 14m catamaran Deguello, skippered by John Brierley, and 14m monohull Haphazard, skippered by Nick Edmunds.

The pair is locked in almost match-race style competition as they go tack for tack in a light southerly and south-east swell.

They are well within sight of each other and less than 10 nautical miles offshore of Friendly Beaches on the state's central east coast. They have about 30 nautical miles to go to Coles Bay, but with the wind beginning to drop, could be four hours or more away.

The pressure will then be on their runners to get their respective boats away first, as tactics will then come into play on the final sailing leg to Hobart.

As a fully-crewed entrant Haphazard must sail around Tasman Island, while racing multihull Deguello may take the shortcut through Dunalley Canal. However, the canal will not be opened between midnight and 4am.

If Deguello arrives close to or during those hours, it will face the tough decision of whether to wait for the bridge to be lifted after 4am or round Tasman Island as well.

The fleet's trailing boats are east of Eddystone Point, so have a slow trip to Coles Bay ahead of them.

Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race Image courtesy Scott Gelston - Examiner Newspaper - Three Peaks Race _.

Breaking news - at the 1200 EST radio position sked

Deguello has hit the lead as both it and Haphazard flounder about in windless conditions off Cape Tourville.

It seems the wind may have dropped out at sea because it's making way for a sea-breeze, and a nice north-easter has just picked up here in Coles Bay.

Positions in the fleet had changed little. Whistler is still in third place followed by Don't Panic, Peccadillo, Community Carbon, VisitFlindersIsland.com.au, Wildfire, and quite a way back to Carey Hire.

by Holly Ranson