LONDON (Reuters) - A broken rudder has forced the Bermuda-based yacht Tyco to pull out of the second leg of the Volvo Ocean race.

Race organisers said Tyco, which was leading the second leg in the Southern Ocean, was heading back to Port Elizabeth in South Africa, where it should arrive at the weekend.

"It could be a lot worse," shore manager Ian Stewart said yesterday. "At least we are in the right part of the world. Give it another week and that would not have been a lot of fun."

Tyco is continuing to use her damaged rudder, although skipper Kevin Shoebridge is concerned that it may break and damage the boat. "We think the best thing to do is to get the old rudder out of the boat before it breaks inside," he said. "We will wait for a calm period and push it out of the bottom."

But that might not be as easy as it sounds, since the rudders are very buoyant and Tyco is currently sailing in high seas. An emergency rudder system is rigged and ready for use if the main rudder fails. Once the boat returns to shore, a decision will be made whether to fit a new rudder and set off again, or ship Tyco to Sydney where the third leg will start.

Meanwhile, ASSA ABLOY led the second leg as the fleet sailed through an ice-littered course in the Southern Ocean.

Mark Rudiger, on board ASSA ABLOY, praised the skill of his crew, but said the cold weather was taking its toll. "It's really draining just trying to keep warm, (let alone) trying to sail the boat efficiently," he said.

Aboard illbruck Challenge, winners of the first leg of the race, John Kostecki said he had spent the morning watching icebergs. "We just passed one about an hour ago," he said. "It was certainly the biggest iceberg I have ever seen - eight stories high."

ASSA ABLOY leads djuice Dragon, SEB and Amer Sports One by about 20 nautical miles, and has clocked 387 miles in the last 24 hours. Illibruck lies 45 miles behind the leader, and the rear is brought up by News Corporation and Amer Sports Too.