MELBOURNE, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese-born Jiang Lin has made history as the first female skipper in history to win Australia's most prestigious yacht race, annually from Sydney to Hobart, after the previous leader was penalized on Wednesday.

Min River, a double-handed yacht co-skippered by Jiang and Frenchman Alexis Loison, was on Wednesday declared the overall winner of the 80th Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race after a protest against the initial winner, the New Caledonian-flagged BNC/Leon, was upheld.

It makes Jiang, who was raised in Fujian, China before immigrating to Australia, the first female skipper to win the overall classification.

Speaking in Hobart, capital of the island state of Tasmania, on Wednesday, Jiang said she "never dreamed" of winning the race.

"It feels unbelievable, like it's not real," she said.

"It will encourage more women I hope. Look at me, if I can do it, surely you can."

Min River initially finished in second place 54 minutes behind BNC/Leon after handicaps were applied, but the New Caledonian vessel was on Wednesday handed a 65-minute time penalty for a breach of sail rules in the final two nautical miles of the race.

Starting in Sydney on December 26 every year, the 630 nautical mile race down Australia's east coast is considered one of the most prestigious and dangerous yacht races in the world.

Min River, which was named by Jiang after the Minjiang River in Fujian, arrived in Hobart shortly after midday local time on Tuesday.

Line honors, the title given to the first yacht to finish the race, were won by the 100-foot Master Lock Comanche when it arrived in Hobart shortly after 6 p.m. on Sunday. ■