
Perpetual Loyal sails up the Derwent River in the early hours of Wednesday to clinch a record-breaking victory in the 2016 Rolex Sydney to Hobart race.

Less than two days previous, it had led the fleet out of Sydney Harbor under blue skies.

Having failed to finish the past two races, owner Anthony Bell was rewarded after revamping both the 100-foot yacht and its crew.

Unlike past years, Bell had just one celebrity member on his crew -- sports presenter Erin Molan (pictured with trophy) -- and he signed up half of the team involved with last year's American winner Comanche, which did not enter in 2016.

Perpetual Loyal led the 88-strong field into open seas on December 26 as it sought to break the race record of one day, 18 hours, three minutes and 12 seconds.

That record was set by eight-time line honors winner Wild Oats XI -- but its race was was ended on Tuesday night when it suffered failure of its hydraulic keel control mechanism while in the lead.

Co-skipper Bell brought Perpetual Loyal to the Tasmanian capital Hobart at 2:31 a.m., having completed the 628-nautical-mile race in one day, 13 hours, 31 minutes and 20 seconds. It beat the previous best by just under five hours.

Giacomo, a 70-footer owned by New Zealand wine magnate Jim Delegat, crossed the line second just under two hours later.

Hong Kong entry Scallywag -- a revamped version of the boat with which Bell won the 2011 race as Investec Loyal -- was one of four 100-foot supermaxi yachts in the race. It crossed the line third.

The fourth supermaxi in the fleet was CQS -- formerly the 90-foot Nicorette rebuilt in New Zealand for Finnish owner Ludde Ingvall, a two-time line honors winner of the race. It finished seventh. Here CQS (left) heads out to sea with the 70-foot Maserati, which crossed sixth as both boats were becalmed for hours in the Derwent River when the wind died.

The race lineup features yachts from a variety of sizes and classes, with the line honors title going to the fastest boat to reach port in Tasmania and the overall winner on corrected handicap time.

Beau Geste, an 80-footer owned by Hong Kong businessman Karl Kwok, was fifth behind 70-footer Black Jack -- owned by Australian property investor Peter Harburg.

The race, started in 1945, is a popular fixture in Australia's sporting calendar.