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Australian sailor Lisa Blair has set a new World Sailing solo speed record for the fastest time from Sydney to Auckland, finishing in eight days, three hours and 19 minutes.
Her time is more than four days faster than the previous best - 12d, 14h, 41m 15s set by another Aussie James Prascevic on January 22, 2020.
Blair also becomes the first woman to achieve the feat in a solo monohull.
Both records are yet to be ratified by the WSSRC.
Blair was greeted at the finish line off Rangitoto Island yesterday with a hooting welcome crowd before making her way to Westhaven Marina escorted by members of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
The journey of more than 1400nm was peppered with fluky winds and lightning storms, squalls of over 30kn, a knockdown, and close encounters with other vessels.
“On this trip, the weather and seas threw every element at me and because it was a short window I hardly slept and really pushed my settings the whole way," Blair said.
"The boat has performed superbly but I am pretty exhausted."
Lisa Blair arrived to a warm welcome in Auckland late yesterday afternoon. Photos / Ella Sagnol, RNZYS
Blair's campaign was aimed at raising awareness of ocean pollution issues and advocating for everyone to make a change for the health of the ocean.
In the coming days, she will embark on her next campaign - attempting to become the first person to sail from Auckland to Auckland (around New Zealand) solo, non-stop and unassisted.
She expects the voyage to take 15 to 18 days to complete.
Blair already holds the record for sailing solo, non-stop and unassisted around Antarctica (in 2022), smashing the record by 10 days to add to her four other world records.
She also has plans for an Arctic world record.
The feature film about her Antarctic voyage, Ice Maiden, will have its world premiere at the Dock Edge Film Festival in New Zealand in June. - with RNZYS
