The crew of Sydney to Hobart line honours winner Wild Oats XI is now eyeing a record attempt in next week's Pittwater to Coffs Harbour race.

Wild Oats XI clinched the first back-to-back line honours win in 42 years when it crossed the finish line at 9.52pm local time on Thursday.

But there has been little time for respite or celebration for the star-studded crew, with the triumphant maxi already on its way back to Sydney ahead of the race, which starts on Tuesday.

By late Friday afternoon seven boats had finished the Sydney to Hobart, with the top three of Wild Oats XI, Ichi Ban and Skandia joined by Yendys, Wot Yot, Loki and Quantum Racing.

Only the first four boats finished inside three days and just two more are expected to complete the course before Saturday.

With the line honours placings determined, the focus has switched to overall handicap honours.

Ichi Ban has set the benchmark for the other boats still racing.

Ichi Ban's captain Matt Allen had targeted overall honours and was pleasantly surprised to finish second across the line.

"Leaving Sydney on Boxing Day, we didn't think we'd be second across the line, we were really just aiming at hopefully a good result on handicap if the weather conditions played out."

A number of smaller and older boats threaten to deprive Ichi Ban of winning the prized Tattersall's Cup.

Foremost among them are Bacardi and Love & War, both of which are on schedule to finish early enough on Saturday to move past Ichi Ban.

The focus now for Wild Oats XI is on adding more titles and records to the boat's already bulging portfolio of victories.

Skipper Mark Richards said he would love to have a crack at the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour record of 18 hours 29 minutes, set by another Oatley boat Wild Oats IX, and thinks his yacht could even set a new mark in upwind conditions.

Oatley still wouldn't commit the boat to attempting a Sydney to Hobart hat-trick next year and emphasised it would head to Europe in March to contest a number of races and regattas including the annual maxi world titles in Sardinia.

Wild Oats XI has finished second and third in the last two world titles and Oatley's crew is determined to win their boss the big prize.

"It would be nice to get a maxi world win for Bob, who loves it over there and he spends a fair bit of time in Sardinia and knows a lot of the guys over there, so it's always a bit competitive," said Wild Oats XI engineer John Hildebrand, who was awarded the "Players Player" trophy by his crew mates.

However Oatley himself recognises the rating rules will make it hard for their boat to attain the coveted prize.

"Last year, we won four out of six races on line honours, but our handicap was just a little bit too severe, so we'll have to think about that," Oatley said.

Asked whether the maxi world titles or a third Sydney to Hobart victory is more important, Oatley said "they are completely different".

Grant Wharington, skipper of third-placed Skandia is philosophical about the lost front rudder which slowed his boat and cost it any chance of a line honours victory.

"I thought 'is there any point going on, it's going to be a pretty rough crossing', but you've got to keep going," Wharington said.

"The modifications we've made to the boat are good and I think we can match it with those guys (Wild Oats XI) in a lot of conditions."

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