Line honours is the term given to the first boat to cross the finish line of a
yacht race
Yacht racing is a sailing sport involving sailing yachts and larger sailboats, as distinguished from dinghy racing, which involves open boats. It is composed of multiple yachts, in direct competition, racing around a course marked by buoys or ot ...
. This is in comparison to the handicap honours or corrected time winner, which is theoretically equally accessible to all boats as slower boats have a lower handicap (e.g.,
the IRC rating system).
Yacht races often have more than one prize, one of which is the line honours trophy. For example, in the
Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is an annual event hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, New South Wales, on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart, Tasmania. The race distance is approximately . The race is run in ...
, the winner of line honours is presented the J.H. Illingworth Trophy, whereas corrected time winners win the George Adams Tattersalls Cup.
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Sailing (sport)