"They have battled against their peers in other boats, the adverse weather and overcome broken equipment to win. Moments like this remind me of what it's like to be on an ocean and is exactly why I founded this race," he said.
"I hope that where these four men have gone, more will follow as they inspire others with their tale of ocean adventures in the only human-powered race on the Pacific," Martin added.
Skipper Hackett and his mates, the first four-person team to row across the Pacific, had enough energy to outline some of the incidents they encountered. Eight days into the race - which they often rowed naked as saltwater-soaked clothing chafes the skin - their water maker broke. This meant they had to use a manual hand pump desalinator to turn sea water into drinking water during the voyage.
They operated two-man shifts at the oars, usually for two hours at a time. When both seats became damaged and couldn't slide they had to row without the use of their legs, making progress slower.
Combined, the crew lost 36kg in weight after burning up 7000 calories each day while consuming 4500 calories of freeze-dried meals. They faced winds gusting in excess of 50 knots and waves higher than 9m.
Despite these problems "Danielle" seldom diverted from its course.
Like the other 13 starters, "Danielle" carried no engines nor sails as they are powered 100 per cent by the muscles of the crew. Of the 13 starters, seven finished.
Hackett's former Napier Boxing Club trainer Rod Langdon wasn't surprised Hackett was part of this week's record-breaking feat.
"Craig was mentally [as] hard as nails and physically tough. He only had time for one fight when he was with us because of his diving commitments but I have no doubt he would have gone a long way in boxing had he stuck with it," Langdon said.
Choi, the first Korean to row any ocean, explained: "First I think about this journey very exciting, when I did this journey I think this journey is hell but very good crew we helped each other ... and we fight wave, wind and rain, we fight nature but we won. This is an adventure for life."
Aucklander Colin Parker was in the Team Pacific Rowers crew which had to be rescued late last month by the United States Coast Guard after taking in too much water while battling high seas. Californian 65-year-old Jim Bauer had to be rescued around the same time for similar reasons.
Last week the last solo competitor left in the race, British 29-year-old Elsa Hammond, decided to turn around and head for Mexico. She was attempting to become the youngest and fastest to row the Pacific Ocean.
Like others in the race she was also competing for charity and in her case two. One was The Plastic Oceans Foundation, an environmental charity, and The Great Initiative, a gender equality charity.
