Kristy Hinze celebrates as Comanche wins epic race

AMERICAN yacht Comanche has taken line honours in the 71st Sydney to Hobart yacht race with a time of two days, nine hours, 58 minutes and 30 seconds.

The supermaxi left behind fellow American yacht Rambler 88 to take advantage of southerly winds on Monday evening as it swept up the Derwent River finishing ahead by more than 50 nautical miles.

Now that Comanche has tied up line honours, attention has turned to who will take out handicap honours for the overall victory.

Comanche is still in the running to win both line and handicap honours.

Skipper Ken Read said his crew were pushed to the limit.

"This is a hard race. You guys have a hard race here. That's one hard, hard body of water," he said.

Mr Clark's wife and co-owner former model Kristy Hinze-Clark was aboard the yacht as a crew member.

Her mother Vivienne Hinze said she was very proud of the yacht's performance.

"Team Comanche, I mean they just never gave in, when they got severe damage when they hit those strong winds on that first night, look we were all devastated and though they were going to pull out," she said.

"Comanche never gives in.

"They did some repairs, they limped in, rudder damage, busted dagger board, and she just kept on coming, [I'm] really proud of them."

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