Rich-lister teen who punched officer unconscious finishes second yacht race aboard Volvo 70 Giacomo

Nikolas Delegat was second in the Sydney-Hobart race.

A rich-lister's son who made headlines for punching a police officer unconscious has finished second in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Nikolas Delegat, 19, crewed the Volvo 70 Giacomo in the race with his younger brother James and multi-millionaire father Jim Delegat.

They reached the southern capital about 4.30 local time this morning.

Eleven other crew members were on the yacht, which pulled in two hours after winner Perpetual Loyal, but still well ahead of the previous race record.

His father, who was also the yacht's skipper, called his sons "fearless" seamen.

"This type of yachting is a boyhood dream come true," Jim told AAP after pulling into Hobart's Constitution Dock.

"[James is] quite an experienced sailor for his age and he's fearless. They're very fearless and talented young men."

Despite coming within eight nautical miles of LOYAL, Jim said they were always out of reach.

"It was good to know we were in the play but I didn't ever think we'd overhaul them."

The boat finished in one day, 15 hours, 27 minutes and five seconds, just a couple of minutes ahead of third-placed Hong Kong supermaxi Scallywag.

Police Association vice president Luke Shadbolt said it was a shame Delegat's "fearlessness" in yachting wasn't reflected in his private life, calling the assault a "cowardly act".

"Typically good sportsmen their talents and character are reflected in their private life," he said today.

"It's good to see he's been able to get on with his life, the police woman he assaulted is still suffering the impact of the assault."

A member of 'Giacomo' works the foredeck during the 2016 Sydney To Hobart Yacht Race on December 26, 2016 in Sydney, Australia. Photo/Getty Images

In September, Nikolas Delegat was sentenced to 300 hours community work for assaulting a police officer, 100 hours for assaulting a campus watch officer, 60 hours for wilful damage, and 60 hours for resisting arrest.

He was a University of Otago student when he attacked and knocked unconscious Constable Alana Kane and assaulted a Campus Watch staff member during a drunken scuffle outside Starters Bar, in Frederick St, in March last year.

In sentencing the 19-year-old, Judge Kevin Phillips said he would not grant a discharge without conviction as Delegat assaulted two people without "any real degree of warning or provocation".

He punched Kane with such force as to render her unconscious and then delivered three further blows.

Her injuries resulted in concussion and 15 hours of hospital treatment.

A year and a half after the attack Kane was still struggling to get back into work and suffered ongoing headaches.

The Police Association said at the time if Delegat were poorer he would have received a harsher sentence.

Former Association president Greg O'Connor said if Delegat had been from the ''other end of the socio-economic scale'', the sentence would have included jail time, or something closer to it.

A ''high-powered lawyer'' could help someone get a lighter sentence, he said.

The sentence had caused ''general disquiet'' among some police officers in Dunedin, especially given the severity of injuries sustained by Kane.