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.