Skipper of line honours victor LDV Comanche Jim Cooney says the protest he lodged against Wild Oats XI was made on principle and not gamesmanship.
Eight-time champion Wild Oats XI was sensationally stripped of line honours when it was hit with a one-hour time penalty on Thursday over a near collision between the two supermaxis early in the race.
Wild Oats XI had come from behind to finish nearly 26 minutes ahead of LDV Comanche in record-breaking time.
But the added hour meant their standings were switched.
"I didn't pursue the protest expecting it would overturn the race result," Cooney told RSN radio's Breakfast Club on Friday.
"Boats at that level and crews at that level should understand, respect and abide by the rules.
"It wasn't a race-winning tactic to go into the protest room. It was something that I adopted as a matter of principle."
Cooney believed Wild Oats XI should have completed two penalty turns when his crew flew a red flag on the water, signalling their intent to lodge a protest at race's end.
"There was an immediate resolution available to Wild Oats, which was to just do penalty turns clear of the rest of the fleet," he said.
"They would have exonerated themselves of their mistake."
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia commodore John Markos was shocked by the severity of the penalty but accepted the international jury's verdict.
"It's not a light penalty," he told AAP.
"But the sailing community is very accepting of these things. We're all respectful of the process."
However, Wild Oats XI's Kiwi sailor Matt Mason didn't hold back and fired a stinging attack at LDV Comanche yachtsman and fellow America's Cup combatant Jimmy Spithill.
"We reckon Jimmy's getting a little bit desperate for a win. But, anyway, he can take that, that's cool," Mason told the New Zealand Herald.
"We were confused that they gave us an hour. We thought the penalty, if we were in the wrong and did our terms, would have probably cost us five minutes."
Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards has vowed to cop the decision on the chin.
"We are very disappointed but I can see the jury's point of view," he told reporters moments after the protest was upheld.
"Everyone's a genius in hindsight. We made our decisions and have to live with them today.
"We'll get back up on the horse."
Meanwhile, Matt Allen has pledged to return to the Sydney to Hobart next year with his latest incarnation of Ichi Ban after it was awarded handicap honours on Friday.
There wasn't good news though for last year's line winners Perpetual LOYAL, now racing as InfoTrack.
The supermaxi was slugged a 20 per cent time penalty for failing to hand in paperwork on time and could drop from 4th to around 25th in line honours.
A flurry of boats arrived in Hobart over the afternoon, aided by River Derwent wind.
Nearly 70 yachts have now completed the 638 nautical mile journey, with just five retirements from an original field of 102.
