NEWS RELEASE
ALFA ROMEO IN THE BOX SEAT TO WIN ADMITS RIVAL!
Mike Slade, the skipper of the British maxi ICAP Leopard concedes that Neville Crichton’s Alfa Romeo may have opened the winning lead in the dash for line honours in this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
Speaking from his yacht this evening (27 December 2009) in the middle of Bass Strait, Slade said Alfa Romeo’s crucial break came around 9am this morning near Gabo Island after hours of frustratingly light winds.
“We were all just splashing about, there was no breeze whatsoever, and it’s always the case that someone will get that little extra puff,” Slade explained. “Alfa Romeo was in the right place to get it. We didn’t get it. Wild Oats XI didn’t get it, and Alfa put 10 miles on us both very quickly.”
Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards said that Alfa Romeo was just three miles away when she made her break. “We were unfortunate to get into a hole. We could see Alfa when she got her nose into the new breeze. These things happen. There is always an element of luck and things went his way. It’s one of those frustrating things - a role reversal of 2005.”
In that race it was Wild Oats XI that got first use of the new breeze, opening up a lead that Alfa Romeo was never able to bridge.
However, this year there are still variables ahead of the boats that were absent in 2005. Both Slade and Richards see a huge hole in the wind just above Flinders Island, and Alfa Romeo will be the first to sail into it.
“This patch will be deathly quiet,” Slade predicts. “We will all just have to sit and put up with it for three hours, going nowhere again.
“It’s a weather transition and there is no way round it. It might stop Alfa Romeo dead in the water. Usually though it is first boat in first boat out, though, and the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.”
Slade is keeping his fingers crossed that the transition will allow him to get back in the race, close enough to Alfa Romeo that he can strike when the boats get to Tasman Island, where he again expects lighter, tricky conditions.
Richards, too, is hoping he can make the most of the hole ahead of them. “We hope Neville (Crichton, Alfa Romeo’s skipper) runs into the hole, and then we do a better job getting out of it this time. There is still 350 miles of sailing and we will keep pressing hard.”
Richards believes he is still in with a good chance, but Mike Slade thinks that the crucial break this morning could have decided the race. “I would be surprised if Alfa Romeo does something that lets us back in the hunt. At the moment if your money is on Alfa you’re a happy bunny.”
Slade has been both delighted and surprised that his own heavier ICAP Leopard has been ahead of Wild Oats XI for so much of this race. While this afternoon the boat has been sailing at speeds of around 16 knots in a 12 knot east/nor-easterly, so much of the race has been in frustratingly light wind - exactly what a heavy boat does not want.
“I don’t quite understand why Wild Oats XI is behind us,” he said.
“In all conscience she should be beating us easily in these conditions.
“This transition ahead of us is going to be very exciting.
“There’s a lot of golf left in this hole yet.”
(ends)
Editor’s Notes:
1. High resolution copies of the attached pictures are available on request from: or
2. Photographer Credit name in the file name for each picture
ALFA ROMEO II RESULTS
Skipper: Neville Crichton
Dec 2009 Rolex Trophy Passages Series 1 x Line, Handicap Honours
Dec 2009 SOLAS Big Boat Challenge Line Honours
October 2009 HSBC Coastal Classic Line Honours, Race Record
July 2009 TransPac Line Honours, Race Record
Oct 2008 Barcolana Race Line Honours
Sept 2008 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 4 x Line Honours, 2 x Corrected time wins
June 2008 Boat International SuperYacht Regatta 3 x Line Honours, class & event wins
June 2008 Rolex Giraglia Race Line Honours, new race record
June 2008 Rolex Giraglia Cup 3 x Line Honours, 2 x Handicap win
May 2008 Rolex Capri Race Week Maxi Class Event Win, 2 x Line Honours
May 2008 Pirelli Cup Maxi Class Event Win, 4 x Line Honours
Oct 2007 Barcolana Line Honours, race record
Sept 2007 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 5 x Line Hons, 1 x Handicap
August 2007 Rolex Fastnet Retired
August 2007 RYS Trophy, Scandia Race Week Line Honours, Class win
June 2007 Superyacht Cup 1 Line Honours Win
June 2007 Rolex Giraglia Cup Offshore Race Line Honours
June 2007 Rolex Giraglia Cup Regatta 2 x Line Honours to take event
April 2007 Hublot Palmavela Regatta 5 x Line Honours to take event
October 2006 Rolex Middle Sea Race – offshore race Line Honours
October 2006 Barcolana Race Line Honours
Sept 2006 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 4 Line Honours, event win
June 2006 Rolex Giraglia Cup Offshore Race Line Honours
June 2006 Rolex Giraglia Cup Regatta 2 Line Honours, 1 Handicap win
April 2006 Hublot Palmavela 4 x Line Honours wins
Dec 2005 Rolex Sydney to Hobart 2nd Overall
Dec 2005 Rolex Trophy Regatta Win
Dec 2005 CYCA Big Boat Trophy Line Honours
Dec 2005 Savills Short Ocean Championship Line Honours/Handicap win
Nov 2005 Cabbage Tree Island Race Line Honours
August 2005 South Molle/Daydream Islands Race Line Honours/Handicap win
August 2005 Edward Island Race Line Honours
August 2005 Lindeman Island Race Line Honours/Handicap win
For further information
Text and high resolution pictures: www.alfaromeo.com.au/maxiyacht
Neville Crichton Edward Rowe
Skipper/Owner PR Manager
Tel: +61 (02) 9701 8000 Tel: +61 2 9701 8015
Fax: +61 (02) 9701 3555 Fax: +61 2 9701 3555
Mob: +61 (0)409 166 166 Mob: +61 407 913 244
E:
EJR/ejr/2-110
27-Dec-09