Australian yacht Loki was yesterday named overall winner of the Sydney to Hobart ocean race, taking handicap honours in the prestigious 628 nautical mile bluewater classic.

“It’s a fantastic feeling,” said Loki’s owner and skipper Stephen Ainsworth after being presented with the Tattersall’s Cup in Hobart.

“Having done 14 races I know how hard it is to win. So many things have to go right for you... the wind gods were with us this year.”

The 100-foot supermaxi Investec Loyal was Thursday confirmed as line honours winner after storming home in two days, six hours, 14 minutes and 18 seconds – the fourth-fastest result in the race’s 67-year history.

But the race also awards a handicap honour, taking into account the dimensions of each boat in the fleet along with age and other factors.

The Reichel Pugh 63-foot Loki was fourth across the finish line with a time of two days, 14 hours, 20 minutes and 38 seconds, arriving into Hobart’s Constitution Dock at 3:20 a.m. on Thursday – fast enough to earn it overall honours.

Overall second place winner was Living Doll while Ragamuffin came in third.

Wild Rose had been vying with Loki for handicap honours but a lack of wind saw that yacht’s Tattersall’s Cup hopes disappear, and hampered other boats in the fleet from finishing.

By late afternoon yesterday, 38 boats had made it to Hobart.

Ainsworth said the aim for navigators this year was to avoid stopping.

“We came close a couple of times, but never stopped,” he said.

“We were quite confident that we would win because it was a fading breeze, not a building breeze, and that worked for us.”