SYDNEY, Dec 26: Swedish maxi Nicorette lost her lead in the Sydney-Hobart race Wednesday when she was knocked down in a fierce storm which forced challenger Australian Skandia out of the gruelling race.

Defending champion Nicorette surrendered her lead to Tyco, one of eight Volvo-class 60 footers competing in the 630 nautical mile Sydney-Hobart as part of the third leg of their race around the world.

Race spokesman Peter Campbell said Nicorette, which has dropped back to fourth place, was knocked down when the leaders were hit by a severe thunder and hail storm just north of Jervis Bay, about 185 km (115 miles) south of Sydney.

He said Nicorette and other yachts had experienced winds gusting over 30 knots as they headed down Australia’s east coast, with Nicorette skipper Ludde Ingvall reporting that his yacht had been hit by a squall he likened to a “twister”.

Tyco led from illbruck, the German-backed Volvo yacht which won the first two legs of the round the world race from Southampton and Cape Town.

Australian downwind flyer Grundig was in third place at the scheduled radio position report at 8 p.m. (0900 GMT), the top four yachts including Nicorette spread out over about four nautical miles.

Seven of the eight Volvo class yachts filled the top nine places as the fleet slogged into southwesterly headwinds of between 25 and 30 knots.

The thunderstorms claimed local maxi Australian Skandia, one of only a handful of yachts considered capable of challenging Nicorette for line honours, as the first major casualty.—Reuters