By the skinniest of margins Team Vodafone Sailing has broken the record it set in last year's Coastal Classic - roaring into Russell in a time of 5hrs 41min 44s.
Riding a stiff southerly of up to 45 knots, the big red trimaran rounded Cape Brett just four and a half hours after leaving Auckland's Waitemata Harbour, but it was touch and go whether the crew could better their 2011 time of 5 hrs 44 min 31 s.
In the end, the 60-foot multi-hull squeaked in with less than three minutes to spare, setting an average pace of just under 20 knots for the 119 nautical mile race.
The carbon-fibre-hulled, 50-foot catamaran Triple8 finished second behind Team Vodafone Sailing - as it did in 2010 and 2011 - in 6 hrs 56 min 47 s, its best time to date.
At edition time yesterday, it was still too early to say who was leading the race for handicap honours.
Squalls, lumpy seas and a 45-knot southerly, easing later to 30-35 knots, took their toll. Dirty Deeds capsized and had to be towed to Gulf Harbour. Coastguard also towed No Worries and Valium home, while rudder damage forced Overload to pull into Whangarei.
Also taking part this year was 17-year-old Whangarei-born Laura Dekker, the youngest person to sail around the world solo, in a Farr 727 called Crac a Jack with 16-year-old Edwin Delaat. They passed Sail Rock in Bream Bay about 5pm and were expected to arrive in Russell late last night.
The Advocate's Russell correspondent and sailing buff, Stephen Western, estimated Team Vodafone Sailing was doing 24 knots as it crossed the finish line off Russell wharf.
"She was flying, she was just gorgeous," he said.
Conditions at Russell were sunny but cold with a 15-18 knot breeze into the beach. Locals were gathering on the wharf to welcome the sailors, with the fastest five or six boats expected before nightfall.
About 170 teams entered this year's Coastal Classic.