New Zealand Supermaxi, Alfa Romeo has scored another overnight jump on her immediate rivals in the 65 Rolex Sydney Hobart race.
The Neville Crichton skippered 100fter has worked out a lead of over 30nm over ICAP Leopard (Mike Slade, GBR), with four times race winner, Wild Oats Xi (Mike Richards/Bob Oatley) just over a mile astern of the British supermaxi.
Sailing at around 12kts - well behind the required record pace of 16.8kts average for the 605nm course - Alfa Romeo seems to have once again avoided the lighter winds forecasted, and as she did the previous morning has edged away from her two principal rivals.
Latest position reports have the supermaxi, sailing under the burgee of the Royal New Zealand yacht Squadron, around 22nm off St Helens point halfway down the coast of Tasmania. That would put the New Zealand yacht around 125nm from the next major turning point at Tasman Island, leaving her 30nm to sail to the finish-line in the Derwent River.
At her current speed that leave her with about 12 hours of sailing, and more importantly makes the task of closing the gap by ICAP Leopard and Wild Oats XI that much more difficult.
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2009 LINE HONOURS As at racetime 01:17:30 - 28 December 2009, 6:30am
EST. ELAPSED
YACHT NAME
LAT
LONG
DTG
SOG
COG
TIME& SPEED
LINE HONOURS Overall
1
Alfa Romeo
41? 22' S
148? 49' E
158.4
16.2
180
02:04:22:05
12.0
Neville Crichton NZ
22nm E of St Helens Point
28 Dec, 5:22pm
2
ICAP Leopard
40? 53' S
149? 09' E
191.0
19.4
180
02:09:26:18
10.9
D
Mike Slade (3) UK
37nm E of Eddystone Pt
28 Dec, 10:26pm
3
Wild Oats XI
40? 49' S
148? 54' E
191.4
19.4
180
02:08:53:16
11.0
Mark Richards (5) NSW
27nm E of Eddystone Pt
28 Dec, 9:53pm
4
Investec LOYAL
39? 41' S
149? 28' E
264.4
7.6
180
03:16:39:15
7.1
D
Sean Langman (18) TAS
54nm E of Flinders Island
30 Dec, 5:39am
5
Ichi Ban
39? 33' S
149? 28' E
271.9
5.9
180
04:04:21:27
6.3
D
Matt Allen (20) NSW
57nm NE of Flinders Island
30 Dec, 5:21pm
6
Ran
39? 30' S
149? 22' E
273.1
4.9
164
04:01:25:55
6.4
Tim Powell (2) UK
54nm NE of Flinders Island
30 Dec, 2:25pm
7
Lahana
39? 23' S
149? 35' E
282.6
2.7
252
04:03:44:43
6.3
Peter Millard NSW
66nm NE of Flinders Island
30 Dec, 4:44pm
8
Helsal III
39? 28' S
149? 57' E
283.1
02:19:16:45
9.3
D
Tony Fisher (10) TAS
79nm E of Flinders Island
29 Dec, 8:16am
9
YuuZoo
39? 20' S
149? 25' E
284.0
1.6
260
04:04:19:29
6.3
Ludde Ingvall NSW
62nm NE of Flinders Island
30 Dec, 5:19pm
10
Loki
39? 07' S
149? 01' E
291.7
4.3
216
03:16:41:44
7.1
Stephen Ainsworth (12) NSW
58nm NE of Flinders Island
30 Dec, 5:41am
11
Yendys
39? 01' S
149? 13' E
300.3
4.3
256
03:13:44:46
7.3
Geoff Ross (14) NSW
69nm NE of Flinders Island
30 Dec, 2:44am
12
Living Doll
38? 57' S
149? 30' E
306.8
4.3
204
03:12:15:26
7.5
Michael Hiatt (4) VIC
85nm S of Gabo Island
30 Dec, 1:15am
13
Shogun
38? 58' S
149? 48' E
309.8
6.5
204
03:18:01:01
7.0
Rob Hanna VIC
84nm S of Gabo Island
30 Dec, 7:01am
14
Rapture
38? 51' S
149? 26' E
312.1
3.2
196
03:20:50:50
6.8
Jeff Hanlon (2) USA
80nm S of Gabo Island
30 Dec, 9:50am
15
Evolution Racing
38? 49' S
149? 21' E
312.7
7.0
184
03:13:47:00
7.3
D
Ray Roberts NSW
80nm S of Gabo Island
30 Dec, 2:47am
16
Merit
38? 50' S
149? 42' E
315.8
6.5
192
03:14:03:31
7.3
Leo Rodriguez (1) QLD
77nm S of Gabo Island
30 Dec, 3:03am
Peter Montgomery talks to Jim Gale and Alastair Moore - Click play button twice to listen
