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Alfa Romeo maintains its advantage
Source: Agencies |
December 28, 2009, Monday
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LEADER Alfa Romeo eased past the halfway point in the Sydney to Hobart race late yesterday as the line honors contenders encountered light winds and the prospect of a slow sail to the finish on the island of Tasmania.
Alfa Romeo, skippered by New Zealander Neville Crichton and taking advantage of an early breeze that his competitors failed to catch, held a 15-nautical-mile lead over British entry ICAP Leopard.
Wild Oats XI, which is trying to win line honors for the fifth consecutive time, was in third, 20 nautical miles behind the leader in the race which covers 628 nautical miles.
The prospect of little wind on the field's approach to Flinders Island and the Tasmanian coast meant the winner could finish as late as tomorrow.
"Oh dear, this race may prove one of the lightest and longest ever," said ICAP Leopard owner and skipper Mike Slade. "(The) forecast is proving completely wrong and being corrected by the minute. I can only hope ... that the current prognosis for the next two days of light winds will equally prove false."
Slade said he would be surprised if Alfa Romeo didn't capture line honors.
Alfa Romeo finished second to Wild Oats in 2005, the yacht's only other Sydney to Hobart, before Wild Oats' four-year reign.
Wild Oats skipper Mark Richards said this year's race was a "role reversal" of 2005.
"We were just a little unfortunate this morning to get left in a hole before the nor-easter built. Alfa Romeo got going well before us and basically put 15 to 20 miles on us before we knew what had happened. That's just the way yachting goes."
Alfa Romeo, skippered by New Zealander Neville Crichton and taking advantage of an early breeze that his competitors failed to catch, held a 15-nautical-mile lead over British entry ICAP Leopard.
Wild Oats XI, which is trying to win line honors for the fifth consecutive time, was in third, 20 nautical miles behind the leader in the race which covers 628 nautical miles.
The prospect of little wind on the field's approach to Flinders Island and the Tasmanian coast meant the winner could finish as late as tomorrow.
"Oh dear, this race may prove one of the lightest and longest ever," said ICAP Leopard owner and skipper Mike Slade. "(The) forecast is proving completely wrong and being corrected by the minute. I can only hope ... that the current prognosis for the next two days of light winds will equally prove false."
Slade said he would be surprised if Alfa Romeo didn't capture line honors.
Alfa Romeo finished second to Wild Oats in 2005, the yacht's only other Sydney to Hobart, before Wild Oats' four-year reign.
Wild Oats skipper Mark Richards said this year's race was a "role reversal" of 2005.
"We were just a little unfortunate this morning to get left in a hole before the nor-easter built. Alfa Romeo got going well before us and basically put 15 to 20 miles on us before we knew what had happened. That's just the way yachting goes."
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