Predictions of retirements in tough conditions are already coming to fruition for the Sydney to Hobart fleet as four yachts withdrew within four hours early in the race.
Back-to-back reigning line honours champion LawConnect exited the Sydney Heads first and was leading the fleet down the NSW Coast, sailing upwind in rough seas, around one nautical mile ahead of nearest rival Master Lock Comanche as she passed Wollongong.
LawConnect skipper Christian Beck was shocked his boat had led line honours favourite Comanche out of the Heads given the fast start.
"It all comes down to the crew. I think they've done an exceptional job," Beck said.
"Really on a downwind start, Comanche should always beat us. We're good on an upwind start but I was very surprised to win a downwind start."
But rough conditions forced three starters out between the 1pm start and 5pm, after Yendys had pulled out with a broken backstay around 10 minutes before the starting gun.
Hutchies Yeah Baby (damaged headstay foil), White Noise (rigging issues) and two-hander Inukshuk (rudder problem) joined Yendys on the sidelines after racing began.
Their retirements reduced the fleet to 125.
First-time entrant Sumatra suffered hydraulic issues in Sydney Harbour and temporarily suspended racing to fix the issue before continuing.
The luxurious 78-footer Oroton Drumfire stopped in at Botany Bay for ad hoc repairs but managed to sail on.
The incidents appeared to be only the beginning for the Hobart fleet, which is expected to grapple with strong southerlies throughout the first night of racing.
"It's pretty rough out here," Ocean Crusaders J-Bird co-skipper Annika Thomson told AAP.
"The wind is between 18 and 25 (knots), depends on the squalls and all that. I think we saw 30 at one stage just in front of a rain squall, but otherwise it's pretty around the 20s."
One member of the crew aboard Thomson's TP52 has already been sick amid conditions she described as "very bumpy".
"Spirits are very good, we've had one chucker already, but hopefully that will be the last," Thomson said.
The conditions are likely to become more intense overnight, with cold weather predicted and swells between three and four metres.
It's unlikely to be as treacherous as last year, when two sailors were killed in storms on a horror first night at sea.
But before racing began, Sam Haynes, skipper of the reigning overall winner Celestial V70, warned the fleet to be on their guard.
"I think there will be retirements, it's tough on boats in the early part of this race," said Haynes, who is also commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.
"The crash bang, the waves, the gear itself is going to be under stress so it is a hard race in that sense.
"Also it's hard on crews: seasickness and potentially some injuries. They can put boats out. I think there will be some retirements in these conditions."
The fleet paid tribute to the victims of the Bondi terror attack by scattering rose petals off the coast of Bondi Beach as they passed early in the race.
At the final briefing, extra rose petals were made available, with Olympic champion and Hobart debutant Ian Thorpe joining Beck in scattering them from LawConnect.
