yacht TYCO carrying the Island's banner during the prestigious Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

The water-ballasted Volvo-60 class yacht was third across the finish line on the River Derwent in Hobart, Tasmania, trailing Ludde Ingvall's Swedish maxi Nicorette , and another Volvo-60, Grant Wharington's Wild Thing .

Designed by world-renowned designer Bruce Farr, the Michael Castania-owned craft, with Kiwi Kevin Shoebridge at the helm survived a gale-swept passage down Australia's southeast coast. The 80-foot Nicorette completed the 630-nautical-mile race in an unofficial time of two days, 14 hours, two minutes and nine seconds, about 19 hours outside the record set last year by Danish-Australian boat Nokia.

Nicorette battled gale-force 50-knot winds in Storm Bay on the approach to Hobart before crossing the finish line just after 3 am for her first win in the bluewater classic.

Heavy weather has forced the retirement of about 20 yachts from the fleet of 82 which started in Sydney Harbour on Tuesday.

Nicorette had her mainsail reefed and a storm jib hoisted as she approached Hobart through the gale and extreme cold in Storm Bay. Snow fell in the hills outside the Tasmanian capital during the night. The green-and-white-hulled yacht broke away from Australian rival Wild Thing yesterday as they crossed a storm-tossed Bass Strait between the Australian mainland and the southern island state of Tasmania.

The Australian maxi managed to stay in front of a small group of yachts that comprised the water-ballasted Volvo-60 class yachts TYCO , Germany's illbruck and News Corporation .

Water-ballasted yachts like Nicorette and the Volvo-60s are able to pump water into special ballast banks on either side of the hull, giving them added stability in rough weather.