The Sydney to Hobart race, traditional post-Christmas fare for southern hemisphere sailing enthusiasts, has a proud but danger-fraught history.

In 1998, six competitors - including British Olympian Glyn Charles - died when bad weather engulfed the fleet of 115.

Only 44 boats made it the 630 miles to Hobart that year, while 12 yachts were sunk and 55 sailors had to be plucked from the raging sea by helicopters.

In the wake of this tragedy and in response to a damning inquest report delivered by a New South Wales state coroner, strict safety requirements were introduced.

The costs associated with these new regulations have conspired to limit the field to 76 in 2001 - the smallest turn-out for 28 years.

But Ludde Ingvall, last year's winning skipper on Nicorette, backs the changes.

"It is by far the hardest race to qualify for from a safety aspect and it should be because it is the hardest race anywhere that I've ever done," he said.

"The whole yachting fraternity is using what happened in Sydney as a way to shape up the rules on safety."

Competing craft must now carry specific types of life rafts, as well as satellite units and radio beacons to help track their position.