AFP, SYDNEYIchi Ban was yesterday declared the handicap winner of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race after an anxious overnight wait. The 52-footer was the eighth yacht to cross the line, but beat Quest by 20 minutes in the handicap rankings calculated according to size. PROTESTIchi Ban was forced to wait before the victory was confirmed while officials heard a protest which stripped Wild Oats XI of the line honors win, in favor of rival super-yacht Comanche. It is just the third time the result of the annual race, which has been held since 1945, was decided by a protest, and the first since 1990. “You can not imagine how rough and how wet these boats are to sail at that speed through the ocean,” Allen said.

Source: Taipei Times December 29, 2017 09:33 UTC