 Alfa Romeo II on her first sail. | |
| Other names | Black Jack IV |
|---|---|
| Designer(s) | Reichel/Pugh |
| Builder | McConaghy Sydney, Australia |
| Launched | 2005 |
| Owner(s) | Neville Crichton Igor Simčič |
| Racing career | |
| Notable victories | 2009 Transpac 2009 Sydney–Hobart (l.h.) |
| Specifications | |
| Type | maxi yacht |
| Length | 30.48 m (100.0 ft) (LOA) |
| Beam | 5.19 m (17.0 ft) |
| Draft | 5.08 m (16.7 ft) |
| Sail area | mainsail 314 m2 (3,380 sq ft) genoa 208 m2 (2,240 sq ft) asymmetrical spinnaker 805 m2 (8,660 sq ft)[1] |
Alfa Romeo II (rechristenedBlack Jack IV) is amaxi yacht designed in 2005 by Reichel/Pugh for yachtsmanNeville Crichton. First-to-finish in the 2009Transpacific Yacht Race ("the Transpac"), she also set a new elapsed-time Transpac race record[2][3] formonohulls.
Alfa Romeo II is a "Reichel/Pugh 100" design measuring 30.48 m (100.0 ft) overall.[4] She features a 44 m (144 ft)[5] carbon fibre mast built by Southern Spars,water ballast, and acanting keel. She is thought to be capable of 35 knots (40 mph; 60 km/h) downwind in a fresh breeze.[6] Some of the boat's systems are operated viaPLCs, automatically stepping up engine speed as power is required to operate thehydraulic ram actuating the canting keel, or disengaging thepropeller when it is retracted into the hull to reduce drag.[7]
Total crew of about seventeen sailors included Stanley Honey, navigator; OlympianBen Ainslie, English Gold MedalistFinn sailor of the2008 Summer Olympics; and members of the Ericcson 4 crew, recently victorious in theVolvo Ocean Race. According to the 7 July 2009 morning report,Alfa Romeo II broke the Transpac race record for most miles covered in one day, set in the 2005 race byMorning Glory, by sailing 399 nautical miles (459 mi; 739 km) in 24 hours.[3][8] She improved that on both following days; on 8 July 2009,Alfa Romeo II reported 420 nautical miles (480 mi; 780 km);[9] on 9 July 2009, she reported 431 nautical miles (496 mi; 798 km).[10] She was first to finish the 2009 Transpac race, in which she set a new elapsed-time record[2][3] of 5 days, 14 hours, 36 minutes, 20 seconds.[11] She has been first to finish in at least 140 races.[12]
In 2009, she was the first to finish theSydney to Hobart Yacht Race.[13]
TheAlfa Romeo yachts owned byNeville Crichton aresponsored byAlfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. of Turin, Italy. They own theAlfa Romeo name and other intellectual properties such as logos, emblems (used onAlfa Romeo III), and manner of depicting the name as shown on themainsail ofAlfa Romeo II in the infobox.
In 2006 the team is also sponsored bySLAM, an Italian company producer of technical sailing sportswear, that provides the team of technical clothing.
