Kiwi super maxi ‘Alfa Romeo’ and skipper Neville Crichton have consolidated their lead in yachting’s World Cup, with their second line honours and handicap win in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup’s third race. Alfa Romeo’s main competition was provided by Australian super maxi Wild Oats, with the two yachts from down under leading by an impressive margin over the German Maxi turbo sled Morning Glory.

Exactly as in day two, under the shores of La Maddalena the wind dropped completely and turned through 180 degrees. Once again the crews had to face a tough tactical choice - sail all the way to the shoreline hoping to get into the shift or stay in the centre lane. Alfa Romeo, leading by a couple of boat lengths, opted for the middle, while Wild Oats went to shore and was unlucky to be caught in the doldrums, in a carbon copy situation of yesterday. A relieved Alfa Romeo was able to stretch its lead to a comfortable margin. After rounding the islet of Barettinelli di Fuori, the boats headed on a close reach to the Gulf of Pevero and the finish line off Porto Cervo.

Neville Crichton's Alfa Romeo maintained tight control over Bob Oatley's Wild Oats, claiming once again the double victory on the water, with a 3-plus minute lead, and on handicap. Hasso Plattner's Morning Glory came in third on real time but claimed a second on handicap and now sits - with a string of consistent results - second overall, just ahead of Wild Oats.

Neville Crichton recapped the day's racing: "We came off the starting line well and we were pretty close boat for boating with Wild Oats; she got through us just before the top mark. We followed her to the spinnaker running leg (at Secca Tre Monti), where we put a Code Zero up and she put a running spinnaker up. We sailed around the outside of her, opened up about three boat lengths on her and we just held it at three boat lengths for the rest of the race." Of the first critical moment in the victory, Crichton thought they made a better choice of spinnakers and that paid off.