Paul Buchholz's yacht Extasea has taken line honours in the Melbourne to Hobart race, emerging from still conditions to blast up the Derwent.
An already long journey from the mainland threatened to extend into another night but Extasea found some breeze as it rounded the Tasmanian south coast.
It ensured the DK 46 would be first home for the fourth time in Australia's oldest ocean race, sailing past the finish line at 5:10pm on Wednesday afternoon.
Buchholz said he was relieved to get to the end after the slowest race he could recall in 20 years.
"The boat is as dry as chips," he said.
"This morning we sat for five hours going nowhere ... it's like sitting in a traffic jam."
The race veteran, who was also first home in 2011, 2012 and 2013, said the crew was keen to celebrate.
"Tonight we'll have a few beers, we'll go out and have a meal together and relive it all," he said.
"We saw a lot less dolphins but a lot more seals and baby seals this year, there was a pod of 50 or so floating around just before Maatsuyker Island."
While Extasea was able to take advantage of a fine breeze over the last 60 nautical miles, it may that others miss out on a final flurry.
One For The Road will be second into Hobart's Constitution Dock, but Commodore Neville Rose said it was hard to guess when.
"You can get stuck out there, it's a bit like a gate opening and closing and unfortunately for One For The Road, it might close very soon," he said.
"There might be a few boats out there bringing in the new year at sea."
Paradoxically, the still weather brought a retirement.
John Alexander's yacht Tilting At Windmills have decided to end their race, with commitments from the crew behind their decision to start the motor and make for Port Cygnet.
Turbulence continues to bring up the rear of the fleet.
