The VOR yacht Amer Sports Too was under bare poles in the middle of the Bass Strait tonight as crew worked to save the mast after failure of a strop in the headstay.

The failure was at the eye end of the stay at deck level. Skipper Lisa McDonald and crew have rigged a jury forestay and expect to be sailing again in a couple of hours. McDonald said tonight that the yacht was not in danger. The crew had considered returning the 110 nautical miles to Eden in NSW, to make repairs, but had decided to continue to Hobart, which is 310 nautical miles away, where shore crew are waiting with a replacement strop.

Amer Sports Too was in a moderate seaway in about 20 knots of wind.

Once the jury rig is completed, the crew plan to hoist the main, perhaps with a couple of reefs in it, to test the strength of the repair, and then a jib and continue racing.

At the time of the failure, Amer Sports Too was approximately 25 miles behind the leading yacht illbruck.