The overall winner of the 80th Sydney to Hobart yacht race has been sensationally overturned following a successful protest against the original winner.
Min River has claimed the prestigious Tattersall Cup after race officials penalised New Caledonian-flagged yacht BNC for breaching sail regulations in the final stages of the 628-nautical-mile race.
The decision creates sailing history, with Min River becoming both the first double-handed yacht and first female-skippered vessel to win the overall handicap in the iconic race.
BNC received a one hour and five minute penalty after the race committee upheld a protest citing a breach of “sheeting sails” regulations under Australian Racing Rules.
Race committee chair Lee Goddard said the rules violation occurred when BNC used a pole to secure their spinnaker sail during the final two nautical miles.
“Essentially, they’ve actually used their spinnaker in an inappropriate way which is perceived as an advantage,” Goddard said.
“They did not deliberately do it, they probably did not understand fully that they were going to break the rule, but it was photographed.”
He said the incident occured at the very end of the race, with just two nautical miles to go.
The penalty pushed BNC behind Min River in the handicap standings, giving co-skippers Jiang Lin and Alexis Loison the victory they needed to overcome their previous 54-minute handicap deficit.
The technical breach involved violating a rule preventing sails from being secured in a way that creates outward pressure at points that would fall outside the hull when the boat is upright.
BNC had declared to the race committee that it had broken a rule, which triggered the official protest.
Goddard said that once the breach was confirmed, officials had to apply a “proportionate” penalty in accordance with the clear racing regulations.
“I’m sure for them it’s very disappointing and I completely empathise as well. [But] the rules are the rules.”
