An Australian Olympic gold medallist will take on a fellow London Games hero while wearing Japan's colours in a series billed to "redefine sailing".

Ky Hurst is making a fist of his third sport at the elite level in a revolutionary series dubbed as sailing's version of Formula One.

America's Cup-winning skipper is tipping chaos when sailing's newest competition kicks off on Sydney Harbour next week.

The Sydney to Hobart attracted thousands to Sydney Harbour to watch the high-tech sleek maxi yachts but the same waters will be filled this week with tiny sailing boats at the opposite end of the glamour spectrum.

Alive has prevailed in a battle with the all-female crew aboard Wild Oats X to claim the overall race win.

A protest, brought against Wild Oats XI by the race committee, was on Saturday afternoon dismissed by a jury because it wasn't lodged by a competitor.

A five-person jury made the decision on Saturday afternoon after a protest was lodged related to location equipment.

Wild Oats XI's Sydney to Hobart line honours win is under a cloud after a protest was lodged late on Friday.

Though the super maxis have finished, smaller boats are still racing down the Tasmanian coast for the Tattersall Cup

After mechanical failures, time penalties and the loss of Bob Oatley, Wild Oats XI reversed its fortunes and won the Sydney Hobart.

Rival yacht owner Peter Harburg says Wild Oats XI's tracker was not on late in the race, as is required.

The lead changed several times in 'the closest race ever', but Wild Oats XI's more easterly path helped it claim line honours for a ninth time.

The race for Sydney to Hobart line honours is set to go down to a four-way River Derwent battle in what could be one of the tightest finishes in race history.

Light winds have proved a challenge to the super maxis, but the whole fleet was united by a memorial message for those who died two decades ago.

Four of the world's fastest super maxis are locked in a duel as the Sydney to Hobart fleet prepares to honour those lost in 1998.

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Victorian yacht Patriot has joined super maxi Sun Hung Kai Scallywag and 52-footer Zen in retiring from the Sydney to Hobart race.

20 years ago, six people died and fifty were rescued when wild weather hammered the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. We remember the tragedy with this article from the archives.

Julie Bishop said there were no political metaphors at play as she readied to jump ship after the start of the Sydney to Hobart race.

Before the race, sailors were pleased with a forecast top of 27 degrees and moderate 10 to 20-knot winds.