McConaghy built Alfa Romeo, Wild Oats & ICAP Leopard to battle it out

9:15 PM Mon 14 Dec 2009 GMT

'Image courtesy of Alfa Romeo - Rolex Sydney Hobart' &copy

With at least six 100 foot Super Maxi's competing for Line Honours, the 2010 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race is likely to become one of the most historic ever.

However the real race and the one everyone is talking about, is the battle between the three 'winningest' Supermaxis the world has ever seen - Alfa Romeo II, ICAP Leopard III and Wild Oats XI. The 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart will be the very first time that these three maxis, considered the most prolific winners ever in Maxi history, have ever been together.

Image Courtesy of Wild Oats - Rolex Sydney Hobart - &copy .

They will duke it out for Line Honours, while also trying to beat the current record of 1 day, 18 hours, 40 minutes and 10 seconds, as set by the McConaghy built Wild Oats XI in her Sydney Hobart debut, back in 2005.

In that year she achieved the treble of Line Honours, Race Record and Handicap (overall) and has gone on to win a record four consecutive Line Honours in a row. In 2009, Wild Oats XI is set to go about extending that record, by winning five in row. The McConaghy built Wild Oats XI has undergone several modifications recently, including increasing her overall length to 100 feet, thereby matching that of Alfa Romeo II and ICAP Leopard III.

Another McConaghy built supermaxi is Alfa Romeo II. She is determined to put an end to Wild Oats XI's Sydney Hobart dominance and has left a trail of race records across the Pacific while on her way to Sydney. Alfa Romeo II has amassed a gigantic 142 Line Honours and wins in her career to date. The most recent was in July, when she obliterated the Transpac record by a little over one whole day.

Image courtesy of Alfa Romeo - Rolex Sydney Hobart - &copy .

Fresh from taking their second Line Honours victory in a row for the prestigious Rolex Fastnet Race, ICAP Leopard III has been racking up wins at the blistering pace of almost one every six weeks over the last several years. Not surprisingly, McConaghy, the makers of the fastest boats on the planet, also built her.

Image courtesy of ICAP Leopard - Rolex Sydney Hobart - &copy .

ICAP Leopard III has her sights set on the Line Honours win in all three of Rolex's offshore events in this calendar year. These consist of the Rolex Fastnet Race, Rolex Middle Sea Race and now the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart.

Regardless of the motives for each of the campaigns, Jono Morris and Mark Evans, who own McConaghy and built these three mega sailing machines, said 'We're delighted to have Alfa, Oats and Leopard and their owners and crew in town for this historical homecoming event.'

Indeed all Australians should feel extremely proud as these yachts compete for the first time together and in the Rolex Sydney Hobart, the most publicised annual yachting event in the world. Australian Made by McConaghy in Sydney, all the way from their stems to sterns, these fabulous sailing machines are not only the best the global marine industry has to offer, they're also world ambassadors for the Aussie Marine Industry.

This is what has lead to McConaghy boats being recognised around the world, as builders of some of the fastest, lightest and strongest yachts on the water today.

That expertise in lightweight, yet fiercely strong composite constructions is also in demand in a number of other industries including the rail, aeronautical and architectural industries.

The significance of these three titans meeting for the first time, in this race and in Sydney is commensurate with their size. 'It certainly is a very exciting time for McConaghy and it's wonderful to be a part of it all. We're all very interested to see the race results', commented Mark Evans.

When asked which yacht they're betting on, McConaghy owners Mark Evans and Jono Morris were naturally a little bipartisan and said that 'the perfect outcome for them would be for Oats, Alfa and Leopard to finish closely, in no particular order and occupying the first three positions.'

Jono Morris, who will be racing on one of the above mentioned speed machines, but declined to say which one, then added 'I'm looking forward to being right in the middle of it all and am proud to be onboard, representing our sensational McConaghy Team'.

When asked why so many of the top race yachts come from the McConaghy shed, Morris and Evans agreed that it's their passion for, and understanding of high-performance yachts, combined with their company's culture of innovation, which makes all the difference.

by John Curnow