Overview
- An international jury in Hobart upheld a race committee protest and added a 1 hour 5 minute penalty to BNC, dropping it behind Min River on corrected time.
- BNC was found to have used a spar on its spinnaker sheets near the finish, a configuration that exerts outward pressure beyond the hull and is prohibited under the sheeting‑sails rule.
- Race officials said the setup was used for the final two nautical miles and likely yielded a gain of three to five minutes, with no finding of deliberate intent.
- Min River, co‑skippered by Jiang Lin and Alexis Loison, had trailed BNC by 54 minutes on handicap before the penalty and now takes overall honors for the 80th edition.
- Line honors remain with Master Lock Comanche, and the race featured severe early conditions that forced at least 34 of 128 starters to retire due to damage and seasickness.