(CNN) -- Wild Oats XI claimed a sixth victory in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Thursday after producing a record time to see off the opposition.
The super-maxi crossed the line with an official time of one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds to claim victory in the prestigious 628-nautical mile bluewater classic.
It broke its own previous record of one day, 18 hours, 40 minutes and 10 seconds, which it set back in 2005.
It also won the race every year from 2005-08 and in 2010 but last year was narrowly beaten by Investec Loyal, which finished a distant second this time under the new name of Ragamuffin Loyal.
"Last year we were beaten by by three minutes, which was very disappointing. This year we beat them by much more," skipper Mark Richards told the race's official website after coming home with 45 nautical miles to spare.
Malta photographer Kurt Arrigo leaned out of a helicopter to capture this stunning picture of the Rolex Volcano Race, winner of the World Yacht Racing Forum Image of the Year competition.
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Kos, renowned as the pioneer of masthead photography, first hoisted to the top of a 24 meter mast during the America's Cup in 1982.
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The record had looked like slipping out of his grasp as conditions lightened going up the Derwent River, but Richards ordered a bigger mainsail to keep momentum going.
"We just kept chipping away. You expect it to be light in the Derwent and it did get lighter towards the end. This is a very testing event and the Derwent is very, very, testing. It's always a tough race," he said.
"We had some very hard and fast running conditions; we blew out a spinnaker and had some gear failure, so it wasn't all smooth sailing."
Most of the crew have been together since 2005, with Steve Jarvin celebrating his 25th race with a record 10th line honors victory.
Wild Oats became only the second boat in the event to break its own record.
"We'll try to do it again next year," owner Bob Oatley said.
"New wings on the keel helped enormously I'm sure, so did the new jib. The design, the crew, the sails and the modifications are what makes the boat fast."
Ragamuffin Loyal, skippered by 85-year-old Syd Fischer, was confirmed in second ahead of Lahana after being cleared of making an early start on Wednesday. An international jury ruled Friday that race officials had failed to inform Fischer that he had jumped the gun.
Fischer was left to rue problems with damaged headsail equipment on the first night of the race.
"We had a bit of trouble," he said after finishing his 44th Sydney-Hobart in one day, 23 hours and eight minutes and 44 seconds.
"We're new to the boat, we've only had it two months. I think we did pretty well. The boys pushed the boat really hard, it's just unfortunate that things broke or went wrong."
The race, being held for the 68th time, is known as one of the toughest in the world. The 1998 edition ended with just 44 of the 115 entries completing the journey, as five boats sank and six people died.
Living Doll was the first yacht of the 76-strong fleet to withdraw from this year's event, suffering a broken rudder near the middle of Bass Strait, 90 nautical miles north east of Flinders Island.
"The Race Committee has been advised that the crew are all in good shape and that they are managing by themselves. They have not asked any other yacht to stand by," the Sydney-Hobart website reported Thursday.
It was followed by Primitive Cool (damaged mainsail) and Corporate Initiatives, which developed steering issues.
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Ian Roman's dramatic image of sailors battling the waves during the Volvo Ocean Race was awarded second place.
Two-time award winner Thierry Martinez had hoped to pick up his third trophey with this image of a yacht during the Vendee Globe race. Instead, he was awarded third place.
Tom Gruitt's photo of sailing competitors lining up for the 2012 London Olympics was awarded fourth place. Leading the pack was gold medalist Ben Ainslie, also one of the judges in the photography awards.
This vaguely comical image of a sailor struggling to get on board a wayward boat earnt Matias Capizzano fifth place.
The prestigious competition attracted 46 submissions from around the world. Photographer Ainhoa Sanchez captured this serene moment during the Platu 25 World Championship in Italy.
The fifth annual photography competition was only open to professional photographers. Here, Chris Schmind captures the varied blue hues of the Bol d'Or Mirabaud.
Sailors brace for a storm during the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in this photo by Dallas Kilponen.
This haunting image of a lone yacht off the coast of Brittany, France, during the Vendee Globe race, was submitted by photographer Jesus Renedo.
"It's an investment to have the right camera equipment that can withstand the salt water," award organizer Bernard Schopfer said. Photographer Hamish Hooper was well prepared when he took this image of sailors battling waves in the Southern Ocean.
Ronald Koelink's action-packed photo of competitors during a practice-run of the Volvo Ocean Race in Cape Town earlier this month.
Photographer Jen Edney gets down low to take this unusual angle of Team France training ahead of the America's Cup.
Photography competitors were judged on technical elements such as clarity, lighting, composition, and also originality. Here, sailors hold tight during the Soto 40 South American Championships, taken by Luis Fernandez.
"It's not about capturing what everyone else saw, it's about creating what no-one else could see," said photographer Marc Bow, who submitted this painterly image.
Resembling a black space ship, the U.S. team's yacht during the America's Cup was captured by photographer Guilain Grenier from a helicopter.
Competitors in this year's Les Voiles de St Tropez cling on to their boat in this otherworldly image by Patrick Le Galloudec.
Ulf Sommerwerck took this unusual water-level shot during the International Sailing Federation World Cup in Mallorca, Spain.
Team USA capsize during the America's Cup in this dramatic image by photographer Sander van der Borch. The team went on to win the prestigious race.
"Sailing photography is a very difficult job. But it also offers you the chance to travel to exciting destinations," Bernard Schopfer, one of the organizers of the awards, said. This image was submitted by photographer Tani Simberg.
"By the next America's Cup in Fremantle, Australia, in 1987 (pictured), I had built a reputation for taking masthead images," she said.
The British photographer captured Duran Duran singer Simon le Bon in this vertigo-inducing portrait. The musician almost died after his yacht capsized in the 1985 Fastnet Race.
Kos has had some close calls in her 30 year career, including this moment when the 18 meter mast she was on, capsized. Luckily a sailor cut the connecting cable in time for her to escape unharmed.
Kos is also known for her spectacular images of the World Champion Powerboat competition. "There was no room for me in the cockpit, so the only solution was for me to hang onto the foredeck as we sped along at 150kmph," she said of this image.
"Being a woman working amongst a large team of serious male athletes can be quite threatening. There is little priority or consideration given to the photographer," Kos said.
When not clambering up masts, the award-winning photographer can also be found hanging from a helicopter in a harness traveling 160 kilometres per-hour in hot pursuit of powerboats.
Kos also took up diving as a way of overcoming her fear of sharks. "Diving deep takes the colour out of an image. Below 10 meters, everything turns blue, hence the use of a model yacht for these images," she said of underwater photography.
Kos doesn't see herself as a daredevil, despite the title of a new book describing her as one. "My drive has always been trying to find a different image, something that hasn't been done before." she said.
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Robin Nahas of the Richmond Tigers is tackled during an AFL match against the Port Adelaide Power at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 2 in Melbourne, Australia.
Xin Wang of China reaches for a shot hit by Xuerui Li of China in the women's singles badminton semi-final on Day 7 of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 3.
Switzerland's Fabienne Suter falls during the super combined slalom of the women's Alpine Skiing World Cup event on January 27 in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees injures his leg playing against the Detroit Tigers during Game 1 of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 13.
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French rugby player Sebastien Chabal, right, packs down against another player during a Balmain Club rugby training session at King George Park on February 23 in Sydney.
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The swedish boat builder says bigger vessels are more dangerous than smaller ones, adding: "My boat is like a little capsule --it will capsize, it will pitchpole, but it will always come back up."
In a career spanning more than 50 years, Yrvind is showing no signs of slowing down. Last year he sailed 4.5 meter boat "Yrvind.com" (pictured) from Ireland to the Caribbean.
Yrvind in the six meter yacht he built in his mother's basement and sailed from Sweden to Newport in 1983. The boat is now on display at the Museum of Yachting in Newport, Rhode Island.
Yrvind was inducted into the Museum of Yachting's Hall of Fame in 1988, for his many solo expeditions. In 1968 he sailed four meter boat "Anna" (pictured) from Sweden to England.
"Out at sea it's a cleaner environment -- mentally and physically. When I come back from this voyage I will be a healthier, younger person," Yrvind said.
Yrvind gave a talk on his expeditions to the Swedish King and Queen around four years ago. Despite stern words from organizers, he refused to wear a suit at the function.
Italian Alessandro Di Benedetto currently holds the record for sailing around the world in the smallest boat, completing the voyage in a 6.5 meter vessel in 2010.
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston became the first person to single-handedly sail around the world in a 9.8 meter yacht, in 1969.
Yrvind's one-and-a-half-ton boat is a drop in the ocean compared to the 15-ton yacht sailed around the world by Australian teenager Jessica Watson in 2010
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