Wild Oats wins fifth Big Boat race

Sydney to Hobart line honours favourite Wild Oats XI has won her fifth Big Boat Challenge on Sydney Harbour.

Wild Oats XI is closing in on a third successive line honours win. (AAP)

Sydney to Hobart line honours favourite Wild Oats XI has won the Big Boat Challenge on Sydney Harbour for the fifth time.

The five-time Sydney to Hobart line honours winner completed the 14-nautical mile course in one hour seven minutes and nine seconds, nearly three minutes ahead of fellow supermaxi Investec LOYAL.

Wild Thing was third across the line followed by Lahana.

Fifteen boats entered the race, which is one of the glamour events in the lead-up to the Sydney to Hobart.

They competed in south to southwesterly breezes of between 18 and 23 knots.