Aera became the first British boat in 35 years to win overall handicap honours in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, organisers said yesterday.

Skipper Jez Fanstone and owner Nick Lykiardopulo were presented with the Tattersalls Cup at Constitution Dock in Hobart. Line honours winner Nicorette was second on corrected time and Ichi Ban was third in the 628-nautical-mile (1,163-kilometre, 723-mile) race.

Aera was the 12th overseas yacht to win the Sydney-Hobart handicap honours and the first from Britain since Morning Cloud in 1969. It finished in three days, two hours, 33 minutes and 43 seconds, about 10 hours behind Nicorette.

The Jason Ker-designed 55-footer races out of the Royal Yacht Squadron in England.

“This is truly the Everest of yacht racing,” said Lykiardopulo, whose first Sydney to Hobart was in the tragic race of 1998 with his previous Aera, a Swan 46, which won its handicap division then.

Six sailors died in 1998 in a terrible storm that hit the fleet.

“We compete to overcome the challenge of the sea, but we also respect it; every competitor and yacht in this race is a winner,” added Lykiardopulo.”

Fanstone paid tribute to his 15-man crew.

“We had a great boat and a great team,” said Fanstone. “The 600-mile races are tough because you never get into any rhythm and you never get any rest.”