SYDNEY, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Defending line ‌honours champion LawConnect took the early lead in the Sydney to Hobart ‌yacht race on Friday as the fleet of 129 boats, led ‌by the supermaxis, pushed out of a cloudy Sydney Harbour and into choppy seas in the South Pacific.

LawConnect was the first past the turning mark after the starting cannons fired at 1 p.m. (0200 ‍GMT) as the supermaxi aims to win line honours ‍for the third straight year ‌in the 80th running of Australia's premier yachting event.