The kiwi team of Propellor-heads are set to take their second consecutive win in the Discovery Channel Adventure Race.
Steve Gurney, Kathy Lynch, Nathan Fa'avae, and Jeff Mitchell make up the New Zealand team of Propellor-heads. They have blitzed the field, and are six hours ahead of their nearest rival, Finland's Team Nokia. Nokia are followed by the USA's The Science Team.
Propellor-heads checked out of transition area 9 (mountain bike section) at 7:36am (10:36am PST, Nov. 15) this morning, and if they continue to keep going at their current pace they should finish around midnight tonight.
They still have a 40km mountain trek ahead of them, before starting the 34km kayak down Lake Tekapo to the finish line.
Race directors Geoff Hunt and Pascale Lorre predicted Propellor-heads would be in the lead pack, along with Nokia and The Science Team.
The Southern Traverse, in its 10th Anniversary year, has drawn strong competition from many top international teams - all vying for a share of the $100,000 US prize bag.
First team across the finish line takes home $40,000, second takes $20,000 and third takes $12,000.
Thirty eight teams are still in contention and battling on, but that is expected to change after today with the next cut-off time being 10am tomorrow morning. If teams are not on the water and in a raft by that time they will be disqualified.
Most of the teams could end up doing an alternative course, as they have to reach Fox Peak by 6pm Friday to do the final 34km mountain trek.
Seven teams are off the course, and 12 are unranked but still are participating on some level.
The good weather, along with the friendly atmosphere amongst the competitors has helped to make this year's traverse one of the best ever, and has delighted Hunt and Lorre.
TOP TEAMS - RANKINGS AS AT 3PM THURSDAY (NZ time)
1 PROPELLER HEADS
2 NOKIA
3 SCIENCE TEAM
4 CROMWELL
5 INTHEPACIFIC.COM
6 ENCOMPASS
7 OUTSIDE SPORTS
8 MERRELLL FOOTWEAR
9 GERALDINE
10 IBEROAMERICA - BUFF
– Southern Traverse Ltd
