The pair said they didn't plan to protest the result but suggested that the race committee investigate the matter.
"The rules say every boat must have the AIS on," Harburg said. "The AIS means there are no secrets. We know where everyone is, they know what speed we are doing, what direction we are going.
"If you are going to win the race you should win it according to the rules … it should be fair.
"[It's] a pity that such a great race as this, which has been a close race with all of us changing position all the way down … got bad at the end because someone just doesn't have any regard for the rules."
Wild Oats XI navigator Juan Vila told The Daily Telegraph he believed the AIS was turned on for the entire race, while Richards dismissed the accusation.
"It's not a mandatory thing … we were in sight of each other the whole race, it was that close," Richards said.
The quartet of Wild Oats XI, Black Track, Comanche and Infotrack was at times separated by just a few nautical miles before the eventual winners made a gamble to sail a wider route, which ended up paying off.
Wild Oats XI finished in a time of one day, 19 hours, seven minutes and 21 seconds.
