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Maxi yacht Alfa Romeo has notched up three
wins at the Boat International Superyacht
event, taking both the overall
classification and the title open only to
the fastest of supermaxis (the Performance
Division). |
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Maxi yacht
Alfa Romeo has notched up three wins at the Boat
International Superyacht event, taking both the overall
classification and the title open only to the fastest of
supermaxis (the Performance Division). 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.”
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