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'Rosebud' takes Sydney to Hobart handicap win

US yacht Rosebud has taken handicap honors in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Race spokesman Bruce Montgomery confirmed that Rosebud's time of 2 days, 6 hours, 2 minutes and 2 seconds was fast enough to beat Zephyr and Morna, which were still at sea late yesterday.

Rosebud -- owned and skippered by Roger Sturgeon of the US -- finished more than eight hours behind line honors winner Wild Oats XI, which became the first yacht in nearly 60 years to win three consecutive Sydney to Hobart classics.

The handicap competition makes allowance for size and other characteristics of the yachts to determine a winner.

Wild Oats, skippered by Mark Richards, finished the 1,163km race on Friday in 1 day, 21 hours and 24 minutes, crossing the line at Constitution Dock in Hobart at 10:24am.

Bob Oatley's 30m maxi was the pre-race favorite and dominated from the opening minutes of Australia's premier yacht race which began from Sydney Harbor on Wednesday.

Wild Oats crossed the finish line ahead of the British maxi City Index Leopard, skippered by Mike Slade, which staged a dramatic comeback on Friday morning before finishing 27 minutes behind.

Australian entry Ichi Ban finished third and Rosebud was fourth across the line.

Wild Oats matched the feat of Morna, which won from 1946 to 1948 -- the last and only other yacht to win three in a row.
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