New Zealand supermaxi Konica Minolta broke the keel boat record despite finishing fourth in the 119- nautical mile Coastal Classic yacht race from Auckland to Russell.
The 98ft yacht crossed the line in 8h 29m 50s on Friday night, comfortably beating the record of 9h 22m which has stood since1996.
However, despite the record, Konica Minolta was fourth across the line behind multihulls Noumean catamaran Rongtudjuu, Murray Ross's Isis, which had America's Cup legend Dennis Conner on board and X-Factor.
Of the 232 boats that started the race, 189 finished in the trying conditions which included 30-knot winds and squalls.
New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club spokesman Brian Carter said the contest between the supermaxi and the 60ft catamarans was intriguing.
"This was a great race and the fact that Konica Minolta took line honours is a reflection of the big improvements made in technology and boat design since 1996," he said on the event website.
