The eight-man crew was tossed around its tiny boat in gale-force winds as they continued their journey to Hobart.

But despite tears in the mainsail, sea sickness, 45-knot winds and massive waves, Canberra's centenary boat, pictured, is aiming to dock in Hobart on Tuesday in time for a lunch date as one of the last competitors to arrive.

Conditions eased on Monday after gale-force winds pounded the Sydney to Hobart boats for 24 hours, reducing the fleet to 65 and leaving boats with snapped masts, torn sails and one sailor with a broken leg.

The Namadgi crew joked the waves were ''100-feet high'', escaping with bruises, three rips in one of the sails and Peter Morris battling debilitating sea sickness.

''I thought I was going to die and then when I thought I was going to live, I wanted to die,'' Morris said. ''It was pretty bad. I haven't seen anything like that. The gale in Bass Strait was extremely hairy, but now it's pleasant down the coast of Tasmania.''

Namadgi is in a ''fierce battle'' for last place with three yachts all in close range to round out the fleet. Deja Vu and 41 SUD are the other two yachts near Namadgi, which hopes to finish by Tuesday afternoon, five days after the race started.

Namadgi survived a ''character building'' and harrowing night getting slammed by monster waves.

Making things worse was a power failure, which meant the crew had no lights or navigation as they slowly edged closer to Hobart.

Skipper Paul Jones reported the 45-knot winds to race control on Sunday morning.

''We couldn't see the compass, we were even wearing ski goggles and the waves were coming into the cockpit,'' Jones said.

''All hell broke loose. It was pretty wild and woolly. We sustained some damage.''

News of Namadgi's nightmare on the ocean follows fellow Canberran Erik Adriaanse finishing his 25th Sydney to Hobart on Sunday and earning ''Hobart Hero'' status.

Jones, 59 and in his ninth Sydney to Hobart, described the swell as ''a confused sea'' with conflicting waves sending Namadgi crashing down and the crew thrown around.

''A yacht isn't an armchair, so when you get thrown around you hit something hard,'' Jones said.

''I don't think there's anyone who doesn't have bruises; some have cuts as well. But that's just the way life is at sea. Someone said it was like being thrown around in a washing machine and it was.

''But we've got a lunch engagement to make [in Hobart] on Tuesday, that's what we're aiming for to finish with but you just never know with the weather.''