Alfa Romeo II
Alfa Romeo II (rechristened Black Jack IV) is a maxi yacht designed in 2005 by Reichel/Pugh for yachtsman Neville Crichton. First-to-finish in the 2009 Transpacific Yacht Race ("the Transpac"), she also set a new elapsed-time Transpac race record for monohulls.
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) |
Alfa Romeo II is a "Reichel/Pugh 100" design measuring 30.48 m (100.0 ft) overall. She features a 44 m (144 ft) carbon fibre mast built by Southern Spars, water ballast, and a canting keel. She is thought to be capable of 35 knots (40 mph; 60 km/h) downwind in a fresh breeze. Some of the boat's systems are operated via PLCs, automatically stepping up engine speed as power is required to operate the hydraulic ram actuating the canting keel, or disengaging the propeller when it is retracted into the hull to reduce drag.