The Australian supermaxi Wild Oats XI has become the first yacht in almost 60 years to win the Sydney-Hobart race three years in a row.
Wild Oats sailed into Hobart's Constitution Dock at 23 hours, 24 minutes UTC Friday, finishing the 1,163 kilometer race in one day, 21 hours, 24 minutes.
The time was well off the yacht's record for the race, one day, 18:40:10 seconds. Light winds in the Bass Strait between Australia and Tasmania made sure the 2005 mark would not be bettered this year.
The British supermaxi City Index Leopard finished second, 27 minutes behind the winner. Australia's Ichi Ban was third and the American yacht Rosebud was fourth, both more than seven hours behind Wild Oats.
The last yacht to win the bluewater race three years in a row was Morna between 1946 and 1948.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
