The Alfa Romeo Owners of Southern California and San Diego rolled their Giulia Spiders, 64 Spiders, GTV’s, Duettos and Alfettas onto Transpac Pier and the boardwalk surrounding Gladstone’s in Long Beach for the first Alfapalozza event. At the end of the pier, and the backdrop for their gathering, was Neville Crichton’s super maxi yacht, Alfa Romeo.

Crichton, the Alfa Romeo distributor for Australia and New Zealand, hosted club members aboard his 100-foot long racing machine that is scheduled to leave Long Beach on July 5th. Crichton and his Alfa Romeo will attempt to break the Los Angeles to Hawaii Transpacific Yacht Race record of 6 days, 16 hours, 4 minutes and 11 seconds.

Norm Silverman, President of the Alfa Romeo Owners of Southern California club was elated with the turnout and the opportunity to meet Crichton. Said Silverman,

“Our wives like beauty. Men like the technical aspects of the Alfa Romeo. Life is short and there are lots of wonders that you miss.” Surveying the banners, the Alfa Romeo-lined boardwalk and promenade out to Crichton’s boat and the size of the gathering, he continued. “This is a wonder, and meeting the one who can put this together is a wonder.”

While club members gathered under the clamshell tent at Club Transpac, Crichton accepted a proclamation from Silverman and a club patch for each of the members of the Alfa Romeo crew. Crichton also versed the admiring crowd on the Transpac Race and the technical aspects of his super maxi yacht and the most successful big boat team in the world. Said Crichton of his yacht, “It’s a Ferrari on the water. It has been a success for us and for Alfa Romeo.” He continued, “We are confident that we can break the record quite easily if we get the right weather.”

Said Mary Blankenship, a past president of the 300-member club, whose owner’s collectively possess in the neighborhood of 2,000 Alfa Romeo’s,

“This is one of the nicest Alfa Romeo events that we have been to in a long time.” The club is making plans for a larger Alfapalooza to coincide with the 2011 Transpacific Yacht Race.

Tom Garrett, Transpacific Yacht Club Vice Commodore, commented in his announcement,

“The Transpac Yacht Club is committed to do more than keep pace with the times. We are determined to make the Transpac the best ocean race in the world in the eyes of sailors and sponsors. Lynn’s enthusiasm for the sport and the quality and breadth of the coverage that she and World Regattas provide are exactly what we have been looking for. Transpac ’09 is the beginning of what we hope is a long-term relationship with World Regattas to demonstrate to the worldwide sailing community and to sponsors the allure of the Transpac.”

Fitzpatrick, President of World Regattas, said,

“I have covered the most professionally run sailing events in the world since starting World Regattas and I am excited to be able to share the best ideas from them with such a forward thinking organization in the US. The Transpac sendoff party and festivities at Rainbow Harbor are among the highlights of Long Beach’s summer-long Sea Festival, the 2,225 nautical mile race is an event of a lifetime for everyone involved, and there couldn’t be a better destination for the finish. King Kalakaua was a visionary and I couldn’t be happier perpetuating his century-old dream.”

Five berths are available as part of the foundation’s 2009 Transpacific Yacht Race Sponsorship Program, designed to help raise funds for the schooner, an educational sail training vessel operated by the Lynx Educational Foundation. Lynx travels 7,000 nautical miles each year to ports along the West Coast and Hawaii, serving as a living history museum and classroom for the study of early maritime history and its role in establishing America’s freedom, as well as earth, life and physical science. The vessel is fitted with ordnance and flags from the 1812 era, and is operated according to early maritime traditions, including period uniforms worn by the crew.

Lynx’s participation in the 2,225-mile race is a gesture of honor to the schooner yacht Lurline, winner of the first in 1906; and an attempt to beat the vessel’s record-winning crossing. Sponsors will join Lynx’s professional eight-man crew in setting and striking the sails, navigating, steering the ship and standing watch, while enjoying a unique, safe, and life-enriching experience.

“Sailing aboard this sleek, powerful schooner brings an exciting new dimension to racing across the Pacific,” said Jeffrey Woods, Director of Operations. “We will match the traditional strength of Lynx against the technology and speed of 21st century sailing machines.”

The sponsorship program offers four levels of opportunity. Level 4 includes a berth aboard Lynx to sail in the Transpacific Yacht Race. Other sponsorship benefits include a private sunset sail for up to 40 guests in any port, the sponsor’s company logo burgee flown during the race, and an official Lynx race shirt. Sponsorships range from $2,500 to $10,000.

Lynx is the recipient of the American Sail Training Association’s 2008 Sail Training Program of the Year Award and the Perry Bowl Award.

For information about the 2009 Lynx Transpacific Yacht Race Sponsorship Program or programs associated with the Lynx Educational Foundation, visit www.privateerlynx.org,

The newly established Open Division was created for those monohulls which utilize waivers under the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) for movable ballast and/or the use of powered sail handling gear. These entries will be eligible for a new shortest elapsed time trophy which is currently under development by TPYC.

All monohull entries, regardless of waivers, continue to be eligible for the Course Record Trophy. The ‘Clock Trophy’ record as it is commonly referred to, currently stands at 6 days 16 hours 4 minutes and 11 seconds set by the Morning Glory during the 2005 race. This is only 21% faster than the 30 year old Merlin record. A great challenge for the Clock Trophy is to cut the original 1906 record in half, which would require sailing the 2,225 mile course in 6 days 3 hours or less.

Those entries that utilize waivers for canting keels, water ballast, and/or motorized winches shall be specifically rated and all monohulls continue to be eligible for the King Kalakaua Trophy for First Overall and other handicap trophies.

With the addition of the new Open Division perpetual, the legendary Barn Door Trophy will remain as the traditional shortest elapsed time trophy for the more traditional (RRS compliant) monohulls which race independent of waivers for movable ballast and/or powered sail handling. ‘We are very pleased to be offering a new perpetual award for the Open Division, says Transpac Yacht Club Commodore Dale Nordin, We look forward to supporting these exciting boats as they begin to build yet another Transpac tradition.’

http://www.transpacrace.com/