After Alfa Romeo surfed to decisive line honours in the Sydney to Hobart race on Saturday owner-skipper Neville Crichton said the state-of-the-art super maxi could go a lot faster still.

The new 27.43 metre carbon fibre yacht, the biggest ever to win the blue water classic, led from start to finish to record the second fastest time ever by a line honours winner.

The yacht, which reputedly cost about $6 million, was never challenged and crossed the finishing line in two days, four hours, 58 minutes and 52 seconds -- well outside Nokia's 1:19.48.02 record which was set in exceptional racing weather in 1999.

Crichton said he'd have threatened the record if the race had started a day later, avoiding the slow first day conditions.

Alfa Romeo got to 25 knots in around Tasman Island and it was doing about 18, and leaving the spectator fleet wallowing in its wake, as it powered up the Derwent River under a white spinnaker which Crichton said was a bit of showmanship.

Crichton said the race was extremely easy and for much of it the crew were in t-shirts -- unheard of in previous Sydney-Hobarts.

"We didn't break any records, but we didn't break the boat either," he said.

Crichton said he was confident from early this morning when his closest challengers were more than 20 nautical miles behind.

After blowing out a spinnaker when he pressed too hard on Friday, he sailed conservatively on Sunday, knowing victory was safe.

Crichton said that when the boat was water ballasted, which it will be for its next engagement, the Millennium Cup in New Zealand, it would be even faster.

In the right conditions it could then do about 35 knots.

The win was an Australasian triumph.

It was designed and built in Sydney, rigged in New Zealand and most of its professional crew of 23 were Australians and Kiwis, plus "a few Poms the cricket team rejected".

Grundig, which finished nearly two hours behind, was second.

But owner-skipper Sean Langman won't be complaining as he had to retire from the last two Sydney-Hobarts after his boat was damaged.

Canon, the 29.94m British super maxi and the biggest yacht in the field of 57, will be third while Nicorette and Australian Skandia Wild Thing are neck and neck for fourth.

Little Toecutter, at 9.45m only a third the size of the super maxis, is leading in the race for overall handicap honours.

The race has been one of the most uneventful ever.

Apart from two collisions at the start, there have been no retirements.

The biggest scare of the day came when Sting hit a whale, causing rudder damage and minor heads injuries to a crew member but it's sailing on.

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