Alfa Romeo wins event reserved for “giants of the sea”

The races held in Porto Cervo from Monday to today have involved twenty one powerful craft measuring 25 to 50 metres. This supermaxi fleet was in action around the Maddalena Archipelago, unfurling thousands of square metres of hi-tech sails.

In today's race maxi Alfa Romeo, sailed by owner and skipper Neville Crichton, added new Line Honours (first across the finish line) to her tally of 135, placing herself at the top of the overall standings for the event with today's win. Winds were light but steady and certainly sufficient to fill Alfa Romeo's 1100 sq. m. of sail area, borne by a 44 metre mast, driving her along a route around the Caprera and Mortorio islands.

Alfa Romeo thus adds another victory to her list of successes in 2008, following wins at the Regate Pirelli, Rolex Capri Sailing Week, Trofeo Loro Piana and Giraglia Rolex Cup, at which her time over the 243 mile course slashed four hours off the previous record. This year the Swiss Alinghi team have joined forces with Neville Crichton, adding their expertise to his crew and in turn enjoying the chance to race on this serial winner and experiencing the cutting edge technology of the fastest maxi yacht in the world. Crichton's craft boasts hi-tech solutions including a canting keel which can tilt 40° to either side and shift from one side of the craft to the other in 7 seconds flat, moving an 8-ton keel-bulb.

Neville Crichton had this to say at the close of the event: "Both the boat and crew are keeping me very happy. Alfa Romeo 2 has been notching up wins since 2005, showing that she was perfectly planned from a technical point of view and that she still provides a cutting-edge sailing solution capable of top speeds, thanks to the performance of her very skilful crew. I'll be coming back to Porto Cervo at the beginning of September for another Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Some new and very fast yachts will be taking part, and so this promises to be a fantastic event with the highest level of competition.”