Alfa Romeo takes four line honours wins in first European regatta of the Northern summer

by Edward Rowe on 23 May 2003 The Australian/New Zealand built and crewed super maxi yacht, Alfa Romeo, has made her European debut in the first major European regatta of the
northern summer season and took the line honours win in four out of five races, despite light winds and a short race circuit.

The 2002 Rolex Sydney to Hobart winner was helmed by its owner/skipper New Zealander Neville Crichton for its European debut, which is being sponsored
by Alfa Romeo and Qantas, in the Trofeo Zegna in the famous Italian town of Portofino.

The Zegna Trophy traditionally opens the Summer sailing season and brings to Portofino some of the most beautiful and fastest maxi yachts in the
world and gathers for the three day event some of the most famous celebrities in the world, leading representatives of the financial and business community as well as of top sports people and stars from show business.

The race, organized in collaboration with the Italian Yacht Club, saw 30 maxi yachts over 55ft contest the event belonging to IMS, ORC Club and
Wally classes. The 2003 event included for the first time the Swan 42 monotypes.

Alfa Romeo, raced by its owner and skipper Neville Crichton, is reputed to be the world's fastest yachts, with an unbeaten record of 36 wins since it
was launched last year, including the notoriously tough Sydney to Hobart race.

'Alfa Romeo started her winning streak in Australia and we are very happy that with the support of Alfa Romeo we have been able to bring the boat and
some of the world's leading sailors to Europe' said Neville Crichton. 'Alfa Romeo was designed to be highly competitive in all types of racing
conditions and not to be specialist yacht. We therefore believe that despite the different nature of the European races we have the yacht and
the crew to be line honours winners in all the events'

Hans Hoegstedt, worldwide Alfa Romeo Communication Director and coordinator of Alfa Romeo Yacht Racing Team said 'The Portofino regatta has demonstrated the affinities between the Alfa Romeo the yacht and Alfa Romeo brand values; we have found in the state of the art technology, in its innovative and most advanced materials and equipments, in its unique design and style the same commitment and attention to performance which inspires Alfa Romeo cars'

Alfa Romeo's outstanding performances in Australia and New Zealand has created great anticipation of its world-beating performance with the European sailing world according her star status in Portofino, notwithstanding other famous boats such as 'Magic Carpet 2' owned by Linsday Owen Jones; 'Cuor di Leone'of Leonardo Ferragamo, raced by Paul
Cayard; 'My Song' of Pierluigi Loro Piana; 'Enigma of London'of Charles Dunstone and many others.

Alfa Romeo has been the unrivalled media star and
received impressive media coverage, including pictures, headlines and interviews of Neville Crichton in all Italian media.

During the race he was joined by the 'special crew member' Lapo Elkann, nephew of the former Fiat President, the late Gianni Agnelli, and who is a
director of the Fiat Group.

Alfa Romeo's international team includes top sailors from New Zealand and Australia (four crew members from the America's Cup team) and also a
Frenchman and a Briton (one crew member from America's cup winner Alinghi)

Alfa Romeo boat is, quite simply, the state-of-the art in racing maxi yacht design, from the sleek Reichel/Pugh design, to carbon fibre constructions
which includes the hull, the interior, the mast and boom and even the sails. As much a racing machine as a Formula 1 car, it is nevertheless
highly stylish both above and below deck. With its striking silver hull it will be the boat to beat in future races.

After Portofino, Neville Crichton and his team will bring Alfa Romeo to race at the Rolex Giraglia Cup in St.Tropez (June 23-29) , at the Rolex
Fastnet Race in Cowes (UK-August 10), at the Maxi World Cup in Porto Cervo ( Sept 7-13) and back to St. Tropez at the Les Voiles race (Sept 29-Oct 5)


ALFA ROMEO - technical details

Skipper: Neville Crichton

Clubs: Royal New Zealand
Yacht Squadron and
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia

Sail No: NZL 80

Designers: Reichel/Pugh, USA

Builders: McConaghy Boats, Sydney, Australia

Construction: Carbon fibre hull, keel, rudder, mast and
working sails

Mast: Southern Spars, Auckland, New Zealand

Sails: North Sails, Sydney, Australia

LOA: 27.43m (90 ft)

Beam: 5.6m (18.3 ft)

Draft: 4.0m (13.1ft)

For further information

Alfa Romeo Yacht Racing Team-Hill & Knowlton
Tel. + 39 02 319141

Andrea Barbieri mobile + 39 380 8811000
Daniela Colombo mobile + 39 380 3248289
Annalisa Nunziata mobile + 39 380 3248284
aryrt@hillandknowlton.com

Neville Crichton
tel. + 61 (02) 9558 7111
Fax.+ 61 (02) 9558 7722