After 84 hours of racing on just a few hours sleep the GODZone adventure race has been won by the top ranked "Team Yealands".
Captained by expert navigator Chris Forne, the team took the initiative early in the race and then kept all challengers at bay.
At one stage the second placed Swordfox had cut Yealands lead to 1 hour 45 minutes, but the front runners were just pacing themselves.
They finished the 530km expedition race at midnight. Such had been their progress that they were more than 12 hours ahead of schedule. The finish had been set down by early to mid afternoon today (Thursday).
It was the team's first major adventure race together. Forne made his name as navigator for the champion Seagate team, who have dominated the GODZone in recent years. He is acknowledged as one of the world's best at what he does.
Also in the team were Sia Svendsen, and the two Dans, Busch and Moore.
Their only real drama in the race came on the white water stage down the Matakitaki River near Murchison when three of them were tipped out of the boat.
But they recovered in fine style - and celebrated their win with a smattering of friends, family, beer and pies.
The race will continue on for the rest of the field, including Richie McCaw and his Cure Kids team. They might not finish until sometime Friday.
Newshub.
