Wild Oats XI Wins Record Eighth Sydney to Hobart Honors

Supermaxi Wild Oats XI won its eighth line honors in the Sydney to Hobart race Sunday, officials said, to become the most successful yacht in the history of the competition.

The Mark Richards-skippered 100-footer crossed the finish line ahead of American newcomer Comanche in the grueling 628 nautical mile (1,163 kilometer) race down the east coast of southern Australia, organizers said.

"It was our toughest race. To have a boat (Comanche) so close is always difficult, especially when they are going faster than you," Richards told reporters in Hobart after the yacht crossed the line at Battery Point.

"We managed to pull it off and I just said to the guys, we have just got to hang in there, hang tough, minimize the losses and wait for the first opportunity we could to attack and we did and it paid off."

Comanche finished with an unofficial time of two days, two hours, 52 minutes and 40 seconds.

Wild Oats XI, one of five supermaxis -- the biggest and fastest yachts -- in this year's race was also first across the line every year from 2005 to 2008 and in 2010, 2012 and 2013.

But choppy seas during the race meant the leaders were unable to break the record set by Wild Oats XI in 2012 of one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds.

The brand-new, cutting-edge Comanche, owned by American technology entrepreneur Jim Clark, had a stellar start when it flew out of Sydney Harbor at the start on Friday, followed closely by Wild Oats XI.

But as the boats turned south on the way to the Hobart finish line they encountered choppy seas, prompting the fleet to spread out as they tried to avoid the worst of the weather.

By morning the winds had eased, giving an advantage to the slim-line Wild Oats XI, owned by billionaire Bob Oatley, which broke away from the wider-bodied Comanche on Saturday afternoon.

Wild Oats XI extended her lead on the second night, taking advantage of a high-pressure ridge in the Bass Strait, although Comanche narrowed the gap on Sunday morning.

"It all went really, really well. To win a Hobart is such a great honor, but to win an eighth one, it's just wonderful," Richards said.

"The opportunity to rewrite a bit of sailing history doesn't happen every day of the week, that's for sure. Just a very exciting moment."

Perpetual Loyal, another supermaxi, was the most high-profile retirement after withdrawing with hull damage, while Brindabella, a former line honors winner, also pulled out after she started taking on excess water due to damage to her rudder bearings.

The 70th Sydney to Hobart bluewater classic drew its biggest fleet since 1994 of 117 yachts.