It was a case of sweet sixteen for Sydney to Hobart line honours favourite Alfa Romeo as the unbeaten maxi swept to a convincing victory in the Big Boat Challenge on Sydney Harbour.

The 27 metre maxi, skippered by Sydney-based New Zealander Neville Crichton, trailed Canon in the early stages on the 14 nautical mile race, but streaked away over the second half of the course.

The only minor problem for Alfa Romeo came when it lost three to four minutes attempting to retrieve a brace which dropped under its keel.

It was the sixteenth straight win for Alfa Romeo since its launch in July as Shockwave and it also took out IRC handicap honours in the race.

Alfa Romeo completed the course in 1h30m51s, well clear of 29 metre British Maxi Canon 1:36:02 and Sweden's Sydney to Hobart 2000 line honours winner Nicorette 1:39:53.

Rounding out the top five were Australia's main Sydney to Hobart line honours contenders Australian Skandia Wild Thing 1:40:50 and Brindabella 1:42:32.

"We probably didn't make too many mistakes, I'm really happy with the way we sailed," Crichton said.

"We expected Canon to be very competitive and if she had got ahead of us it may have been a very different scenario, it would have been difficult to get past her, she was very close to our speed right around the track."

Crichton said he had opted to use for the first time the mainsail Alfa Romeo would utilise for the Sydney to Hobart, rather than the much lighter inshore mainsail.

A fleet of 18, including a number of boats not contesting the Sydney to Hobart, raced in a ten to 15 knot north-easterly breeze.

Canon, which will be the biggest boat to contest the Sydney to Hobart, was without a number of crew members still on America's Cup duty. They will join the boat next week along with British owner Mike Slade.

Crack British yachtsman Neal MacDonald, who was aboard last year's Sydney to Hobart line honours winner Assassa Abloy, steered Canon little more than 24 hours after arriving from Europe.

"I was very impressed with it, it's unusual to have a big comfortable boat that sails so nicely," MacDonald said.

He stressed Canon would step up a notch after the rest of the crew arrived.

Nicorette's skipper Lude Ingvall was philosophical about finishing well behind the first two.

"Alfa Romeo was great and Canon is huge and we were the best of the rest," Ingvall said.

"Nicorette is a water ballasted boat, so going up and down the harbour is not what we're good at, we're looking forward to getting out of Sydney Heads."

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