New Zealand maxi Alfa Romeo won the Sydney to Hobart yacht race Monday, completing a start-to-finish victory and relegating four-time and defending champion Wild Oats XI to second place. Alfa Romeo, skippered by Neville Crichton, crossed the finish line at Constitution Dock in Hobart, the capital of the island state of Tasmania, in an unofficial time of 2 days, 9 hours, 2 minutes, well off the race record due to light winds. Wild Oats XI, which holds the record of 1 day, 18 hours, 40 minutes, set in 2005, finished second, 2 hours, 3 minutes behind Alfa Romeo. Alfa Romeo led the 100-yacht fleet out of Sydney Harbour Saturday and never relinquished the lead. British yacht ICAP Leopard, which had been in second place for most of the race, was expected to finish third early Tuesday morning. It was the second line honors victory in the Sydney to Hobart for Crichton – he won the 2002 race with another yacht named Alfa Romeo. He also finished second to Wild Oats in 2005 with his current boat. “It was nice to come back and beat them,” Crichton said. “We've got the best crew in the world. This race is the ultimate, a good one to have on your resume.” It was the 143rd line honors win for Crichton in his newest yacht. He said he would not defend his Sydney to Hobart title next year because he is scheduled to race in Europe. The New Zealand yacht made it interesting in the final hours, with its lead of more than 20 nautical miles (23 miles, 37 kilometers) on Sunday and early Monday reduced to just 12 nautical miles (14 miles, 23 kilometers) over Wild Oats XI and its skipper Mark Richards late in the race. But Alfa Romeo re-established a sizable lead at the end, crossing the finish line to the sounds of the horns of nearby yachts in the harbor and cheers from spectators on shore. At the back of the fleet Monday, the smaller, slower boats were finding no breeze in the normally challenging Bass Strait. “We are in a parking lot,” Michael Bellingham, the navigator of Loki, said. “It's time to break out the cards.” The calm conditions were forcing skippers on the slower boats to restrict food and drink. “We have started to ration water to make sure we have enough,” Yendys navigator said Monday. “The trimmers are no longer allowed to pour fresh water over their winches to keep them quiet. No tea or coffee overnight.” Others yachts, which had only two-day food supplies, were also reporting they were running low on food and water. And some of the slowest boats that haven't entered Bass Strait could face New Year's Eve at sea.
