Wild Oats XI takes lead from Perpetual Loyal in 2013 Sydney to Hobart Perpetual Loyal owner and skipper Anthony Bell believes his new maxi can still win Sydney to Hobart line honours, despite having conceded the race lead in light conditions that could well have seen it further back than second place after its second day at sea. After bobbing around all Friday in a north-easterly so light that Bell said he had "seen it windier in my two-year-old daughter's swimming class," the 38-year-old accountant said his crew's goal as night fell was to remain within 12 to 13 nautical miles of Wild Oats XI, which took back the race lead from Perpetual Loyal a few hours earlier. Bell, whose old boat Investec Loyal beat Wild Oats XI to win line honours in 2011, even suggested that leading the 628 nautical mile race to Tasman Light with 40 nautical miles to go could be a disadvantage. Front-runner: Wild Oats XI took the lead from Perpetual Loyal in the Sydney to Hobart on Friday. "I don't know if you want to be the front-running boat going into Tasman Light in this race," he said. There is going to be a little bit on there [the forecast is for a strong north-easterly wind], and it might also do as it did in 2011 and leave some track lines there for the guys coming second and third to make some decisions. The pressure may be back on for the leading boat, particularly as they try to navigate their way into the finale of the race. We started off aiming to win the race. That hasn't changed right now. While the line honours battle was poised for a thrilling finish between Wild Oats XI and Perpetual Loyal, still in touch for line honours were five big boats, including Ragamuffin 100. At 6pm on Friday, the Mark Richards skippered Wild Oats XI was in the lead and 88 nautical miles south of Gabo Island, while Perpetual Loyal was four nautical miles adrift and Ragamuffin 100 was at nine nautical miles. While the light winds provided a smooth passage for the fleet, the tussle between the top line honours contenders became a terrific battle of wits. The big boats will need to milk the north-easterlies, forecast to hit 25 to 30 knots by mid- to late-Saturday, if they are to start the run up the Derwent River to the finish before they peter out, as is expected about 8pm on Saturday. A torrid time in heavy seas still awaits the slower boats as they cross Bass Strait, but if the front-runners remain as close to each other as they were on Friday and reach the Derwent before the north-easterly blows out, the race could end in a dramatic tacking duel. Bell says Perpetual Loyal will be ready to strike and, considering that his boat is suited for rougher weather, he is even surprised by how well-placed it is against the lighter boats. "We, technically ... should be well behind some of the other boats in this," he said. Asked what would be the maximum lead Perpetual Loyal could allow Wild Oats XI to have at Tasman Light to still win the race, Bell said: "No more than 12 to 13 miles. Perpetual Loyal showed earlier that it can go fast when the opportunity arises. It responded to its loss of distance to Wild Oats XI after Thursday's start at the first mark, where Wild Oats XI luffed it by taking the lead that night and extending it by up to 14 nautical miles on Friday. But Wild Oats XI answered to find itself on Perpetual Loyal's stern by the middle of Friday as the yachts were south-east of Gabo Island. Approaching Bass Strait, only one nautical mile separated them as they sailed east of the rhumbline. The margin fell to where Bell said there was about "half a mile" between them - until at 2.50pm when Wild Oats XI reported in from 55 nautical miles south-east of Gabo Island that it had passed Perpetual Loyal.