A group of Marlborough Boys' College students' voyage on the Spirit of New Zealand will be beamed into living rooms around the country today after it was filmed by popular after-school programme, The Erin Simpson Show.

Ten college leadership students were filmed chatting to the host of the show, hoisting sails, and doing flips into the water from the 45-metre tall ship.

The were aboard for the Spirit Trophy competition which pits the year 10 students against students from Tauranga Girls' College, Wanganui Girls' College and Westlake Boys High School in a series of challenges including knot tying, tug-o-war, rafting, and quizzes.

Setting sail from Auckland on August 14, the ship carried the students on a five-day trip around the Hauraki Gulf.

Days began with a 6.30am swim followed by sailing training and then team challenges in the afternoon.

Marlborough student Callum Phillips, 15, said although they were in competition with each other the students from the different schools got along well.

"The first night everyone was a bit shy but by the fourth day we were one big class, like a family."

One of Callum's favourite things about the trip was meeting the students from other schools, but he and team-mate Adam Pope, 15, agreed they enjoyed the physical challenges the most - though being physically tall and broad is not much of an advantage in the close confines of a ship. They battled tiny cots and the low roof during the voyage.

Other challenges included blistered hands from hauling sails and sleep deprivation from taking shifts looking over the vessel during the night.

However, Adam had an interesting encounter during his watch in the dead of night when a dolphin swam around the boat.

‘We heard this splash and saw water splashing out of the ocean. We thought, ‘Is that a a shark or a dolphin?'

"It was awesome."

Tauranga Girls College took out the trophy with the most points, but parent Lachlan Marshall who accompanied the boys was full of praise for his crew.

Although they didn't have much time before embarking to prepare the group for the challenges they would face they "they came together really well as a team", he said. "[The experience] really helped to build their confidence, they didn't flinch from doing anything."

Both Callum and Adam want to go back on the Spirit of New Zealand n and do the 10-day youth development voyage.

"It was just a great experience," said Callum.

- The Marlborough Express

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