It's been described as one of the toughest Sydney to Hobart races in years and Wollongong residents have had a chance to take a close-up view of the carnage.
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Denali was near Jervis Bay when the boat suffered serious hull damage, skipper Damien Parkes nursing the boat back to Port Kembla harbour late on Sunday.
The boat has since relocated to Wollongong harbour, where the crew have taken stock of the destruction.
"Those conditions were just nasty," Parkes said. "They were as miserable as I've ever seen.
"We were driving it as hard as we could. We knew if we got a wave the wrong way, it would get us. That's exactly what happened, that's the sport of ocean racing."
The crew were greeted in Wollongong by offers of accommodation, food and assistance with repairs.
Denali will return to Sydney on Wednesday, the focus now on next year's race.
"The hospitality of everybody coming down to help has been fantastic," Parkes said. "To the people of Wollongong, a great measure of appreciation."
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Cameron Mee
Sports reporter at the Canberra Times
Sports reporter at the Canberra Times
