Wild Oats XI took line honours in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race for the fifth time in six years yesterday but its victory was uncertain because of a protest lodged by the race committee.

Skippered by Mark Richards, the 100-foot yacht crossed the finish line off Hobart’s Constitution Dock 2 days, 7 hours, 37 minutes, 20 seconds after leaving Sydney and almost 31 miles ahead of its nearest rival, fellow super maxi Investec Loyal.

Organisers immediately declared Wild Oats’ fifth line honours win provisional pending a hearing today of a protest over a breach of race radio protocols.

Race Committee Chairman Tim Cox said the super maxi failed to have an operational HF radio as she passed Green Cape on Monday, a compulsory reporting stage at the entrance to Bass Strait. A similar protest was lodged against the English yacht RAN.

“The race committee met this morning and considered the position of those two yachts and we believed that we needed to lodge a protest on those boats with the international jury for not complying with the sailing instruction 44.1(A),” Cox said.

The rule was introduced after the disastrous 1998 race, hit by a massive storm in which six sailors drowned.

“From my point of view, passing Green Cape is one of the fundamental safety rules of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race,” Cox said. “It’s one of the breaches which I personally consider to be one of the more serious ones ... that’s also shared by the members of the race committee.”

In 2001, Bermudan yacht Tyco was disqualified for lodging its crew and condition report seven minutes late.

The five-man international jury will convene in Hobart today to consider the protest, with the power to impose sanctions ranging from time penalties to disqualification.

Cox said he told Wild Oats’ navigator Adrienne Cahalan not to attempt to cross Bass Strait without an HF radio.

“I spoke to Wild Oats prior to them getting to Green Cape and they advised that their HF radio did not work,” he said. “I advised her that she could not cross Bass Strait.”

Sandy Oatley, son of the yacht’s owner Bob Oatley, said he would talk to Cahalan before deciding what to do.

The seriousness of the threat to Wild Oats’ win was marked by the muted celebrations of its crew as it crossed the line. The super maxi had steadily increased its lead over its nearest rivals throughout yesterday as it powered down the east coast of the island state Tasmania and closed on the finish.

Investec Loyal, crewed in part by a galaxy of Australian sporting stars, could make no impression on the leader as the finish line neared. Late in the day Ichi Ban overtook Lahana to move into third place.

Gale force south westerlies which batted the fleet on Sunday night and Monday morning, forcing the withdrawal of 16 yachts, ensured Wild Oats’ own race record of 1 day, 18 hours, 40 minutes, set in 2005, was never under threat.

Sydney yacht Victoire led the race for handicap honors with an adjusted lead of just 4 minutes ahead of South Australia’s Secret Men’s Business.