Wild Oats XI smashes race record

Wild Oats XI has won the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race lines honours for a sixth time, smashing its own 2005 race record in the process.

Wild Oats crossed the line just before 7.30am (AEDT) in a new race record time of one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds, breaking the mark it set in 2005 by nearly 17 minutes.

Skipper Mark Richards says making amends for last year's loss was the spur for the record-breaking charge.

(AAP Images)