Sailing: Australian Lisa Blair smashes solo speed record from Sydney to Auckland

Australian Lisa Blair has set a record for sailing solo from Sydney to Auckland, eclipsing the previous mark by four days.  

In doing so, she's become the first woman to make the journey unassisted - all while raising awareness for climate action.

On Tuesday, after eight days, three hours and 1200 nautical miles, Blair officially became the fastest person and first woman to sail unassisted across the Tasman Sea. 

"So excited," Blair told Newshub upon her arrival. "I was aiming for like 8-10 days, but in my mind, I was thinking, 'Oh, I wonder if I could do it in six or seven days'.  

"I'm super happy." 

The previous record was set in January 2020 by retired Australian serviceman James Prascevic to raise awareness of PTSD.  

Blair made her journey in support of Climate Action, witnessing firsthand the impact of global warming. That cause also motivated her to journey around Antarctica in 2022.

Breaking that record by 10 days, she now holds seven records in total and is preparing to nab another later this year. 

 Her next journey is to sail Auckland to Auckland around New Zealand, before making a play for the Arctic record later this year.

First things, first: "A good night's sleep, some hot chips... and a really good vegan ice cream." 

And a well-earned celebratory champagne.