Skipper Christian Beck finally claimed line honours in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Thursday, beating Andoo Comanche by 51 seconds after coming second in the past three runnings of the race.
The two big yachts were neck-and-neck for most of the 628 nautical miles from Sydney to Hobart, with LawConnect ultimately emerging as the victor.
Thousands of spectators gathered at Hobart’s Constitution Dock to witness one of the closest finishes in the prestigious ocean race’s history.
Beck expressed disbelief, saying, “I can’t believe that result, I never thought it was possible.”
Despite tough stormy conditions, LawConnect completed the race in one day, 19 hours, 3 minutes and 58 seconds, outside the record set by Comanche in 2017.
Most of the fleet remains in the Bass Strait, with the overall handicap winner yet to be determined.
Eleven boats retired from the race, but there were no fatalities, reflecting improved safety standards since a major storm in 1998 resulted in six fatalities.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney; Editing by Ed Osmond)
