Sydney: The 50-foot yacht Victoire was on Monday named the overall winner of the Sydney to Hobart ocean race, after the only boat still at sea that could beat her ran out of time.
Supermaxi Wild Oats XI won line honours in the challenging 628 nautical mile race on Saturday night, storming home ahead of the fleet in a time of two days, six hours, seven minutes and 27 seconds.
But the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia said on Monday that Victoire had taken out handicap honours, which take into account the size, weight and length of each boat and the time they took to complete the gruelling race.
“It’s an amazing achievement,” said Victoire’s owner, Sydney plastic surgeon Darryl Hodgkinson.
“It’s also having the right equipment. Crossing the line in one piece, I had a personal taste of the water.
“It can be a dangerous race, but the boat is so solid — and my crew — they are so good. I thought it would be a two-year programme before I had a serious chance to win.”
Victoire, a 50-foot Cookson/Farr design, arrived in Hobart on Sunday morning, becoming ninth across the line from the original starting fleet of 94 yachts that headed out of Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day.
She followed the 100 footers Wild Oats XI, Perpetual Loyal, Ragamuffin 100 and Wild Thing as well as Volvo 70s Black Jack and Giacomo, 80-foot Botin Beau Geste and Carkeek 60 Ichi Ban.
Victoire was named overall winner after the only other yacht which could technically beat her, Wild Rose, was still at sea early on Monday after slowing down in frustrating conditions.
Victoire, which under previous owner Chris Bull was named Jazz, finished the Sydney to Hobart second overall in the 2010 race and fourth in 2011 and again in 2012.
Some 43 boats have now completed the race, with 41 still making their way to Hobart. Ten yachts retired from the race.
