Terra Nova Trading Key West 2004

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Race Dates for Key West 2005: January 17- 21

WRAP UP	FRI January 23	THURS January 22	WED January 21
TUE January 20	MON January 19	SUN January 18	PRE January 12

Jan. 29, 2004 -- For Immediate Release

KEY WEST WINDS MADE EVERYONE A WINNER
Flying Dutchman Is Terra Nova Trading Boat of the Week

KEY WEST, Fla.---This little capital of the Conch Republic is back to normal now, returned to the ambience of pedicabs, Harleys, bicycles and roosters roving the rustic and historic streets. It's a change of pace from the blizzard of boats that blew through for a perfectly wonderful week of Terra Nova Trading Key West 2004, presented by Nautica.

While much of the nation shivered, for five days it was the sailors' time to crow in consistently double digit winds that produced winners from five countries and 11 states coast to coast and allowed a Key West record number of nine races to be sailed. Conditions were so nice that there were moments when it looked like a swim meet. More on that later.

There were 301 boats in 10 one-design and 11 PHRF classes representing 18 countries and 32 states. Eighty were J Boats, sprinkled through both groups.

Underscoring the event's evolution into a global event through its 17 years, the big winner came from The Netherlands, and an epic human contest was played out between a young Frenchman and his much younger American adversary.

Peter De Ridder, a 57-year-old Dutch investor who lives in Monaco, elbowed his way to the table and rolled the dice in the tough Farr 40 fleet, cashing out some world-class rivals with a one-point victory. That also earned him the Terra Nova Trading Trophy as "Boat of the Week" for winning the most competitive class and a share of the Nautica Trophy in the International Team Competition.

His Mean Machine was paired with Kristian Nergaard's Melges 24, Baghdad, from Norway as the Europe B team, which outsailed nine other Farr 40-Melges 24 global alliances.

"All of that makes it a very big day for us," De Ridder said.

He has sailed most of his life on boats called Mean Machine, but he wasn't taken seriously as a contender. After all, when he had to drive his boat a year earlier in Key West---that's the class rule---he finished 15th.

"I'd never helmed a boat at this high a level," he said. "We improved during the year, and here we started low key and sneaked into second place [the next to last day] with a fourth and a second---and all of a sudden we're tied with Barking Mad."

In the last race, Jim Richardson's perennial entry from Newport, R.I. chased him all the way to the finish line for second overall.

Mean Machine's tactician, Ray Davies of New Zealand, said, "I've done a lot of sailing with Peter, including the Admiral's Cup we won in '99. But this is huge. To win in a fleet like this is a special achievement."

Sebastian Col also sneaked up on people. While most observers tried to pick a Melges 24 winner from among several former world champions, including 14-year-old Samuel (Shark) Kahn of Santa Cruz and Hawaii, Col drove Philippe Ligot's P&P Sailing Team from La Rochelle back from a 59-point premature start penalty on Day 1 to a four-point win over the California prodigy, whose father Philippe wound up sixth.

As Kahn ran away from the fleet at mid-week, it was easy to overlook that Col, sailing consistently well and quietly, would be able to discard those 59 points after seven races and reel the Shark in decisively. In the final race Kahn passed Col on the beat to the finish for his third consecutive win and fourth overall, but he needed four boats between them.

Col said, "We wanted to stay close to Shark the whole time. We started in the same position as Shark, and by the middle of the first beat we were in front and were able to sail our own course and focus on going fast."

Philippe Kahn said it was still a good week for Team Pegasus. "Without the throwouts, he [Shark] wins the regatta," he said. "But the French deserved to win. They're a great team."

The first five boats represented as many countries.

Kelly, Andrew Cheney's Beneteau 1st 10 from St. Petersburg, Fla., received the Lewmar Trophy as PHRF Boat of the Week for winning PHRF 9, where six of the 10 entries won races but he won three.

"Boat of the Day" honors were awarded to those that prevailed in the class with the most competitive racing each day. California entrants were recognized the first four days: Philippe Kahn (Melges 24), Santa Cruz, on Nautica Day Monday; John MacLaurin's Pendragon V (Farr 40), Los Angeles, on City of Key West Day Tuesday; Roger Sturgeon's Transpac 52, Rosebud (PHRF 1), San Francisco, on Mount Gay Rum Day Wednesday, and Tom Coates' Masquerade (J/105), on Lewmar Day Thursday.

Rumor, John Storck Jr.'s J/80 from Huntington, N.Y. was Terra Nova Trading Boat of the Day for winning Friday's finale, which earned him fourth place overall.

Swan 45 and C&C 99 one-design fleets were new on the scene. Six of the eight Swans won races, but consistency was key for Thomas Stark's RUSH (Reloaded), Newport, R.I., with Ed Baird as tactician.

Colin Andrew's Trumpeter, one of six C&C 99 entries from central Canada in this 11-boat class, won four of the nine races.

The Swan Performance Trophy went to So Far, Lawrence Hillman's Swan 48 from Chicago, for its consistent dominance in PHRF 8, where it was first or second in seven races. Seven-time Soling world champion Jorgen Johnsson steered So Far while 17-year-old Brian Smith distinguished himself as tactician.

Some sailors also worked on their freestyles. Three hard-hiking crew members fell off a Farr 40 when their lifeline gave way at the start, and America's Cup star Peter Holmberg took a dive when Tom Hill's R/P 75, Titan, the biggest boat in the event, shrimped its spinnaker with a sheet wrapped around his left ankle. Two days earlier Titan bowman Ken Nevor also went overboard in a similar incident. All were recovered safely.

Philippe Kahn summed up the general feeling afterward when he said, "It's a great event---a perfect regatta. The race committee did a great job. Starting 58 Melges 24s isn't easy. They talk on the radio and explain everything to you. It's awesome. It's the greatest regatta in North America."

Title Sponsor, Terra Nova Trading, L.L.C. (member NASD, SIPC & PCX), is recognized as an innovative leader in Electronic Direct Access Trading. The Chicago-based firm enables customers to electronically route orders to major markets and ECNs. Terra Nova Trading's technology partner, Townsend Analytics, Ltd., is the developer of the premier real-time trading platform, RealTick(r), which is also a Key West sponsor.

Nautica was the Presenting Sponsor. Their high fashion eyewear and elegant timepieces were awarded to each day's Boat of the Day, class champions, and the top three teams in the International Team Competition.

Mount Gay Rum, Lewmar, Samson Rope Technologies, Pearson Yachts, Raymarine and the Florida Keys and Key West Tourist Development Council rounded out the official line-up. The Historic Seaport was the Official Site for the event. The Performance Sailing Industry Partner Program, now in its third year, features 26 companies that have made a multi-year commitment to the event.

CLASS WINNERS (9 races; 1 throwout, except in Swan 45, Farr 40 and Mumm 30)

Swan 45 (8 boats)---RUSH (Reloaded), Thomas Stark, Newport, R.I. (4-2-2-4-1-2-4-5-1), 25 points. Amid some rough and tumble elegance, Stark chartered the boat he once owned and survived a flurry of final-day protests. Veteran Andreas Josenhans of North Sails, a trimmer on board, said, "The crew put in a lot of hours practicing on the tiny details that win regattas."

Farr 40 (23)---Mean Machine, Peter De Ridder, The Netherlands (6-7-18-5-6-12-4-2-1), 61. Defending champion Crocodile Rock from California led five boats that were within two points entering the last race, but co-owner/helmsman Scott Harris said, "It's tough sailing. The fleet has improved. There are more boats and they're better prepared."

Mumm 30 (13)---Turbo Duck, Bodo Von Der Wense, Annapolis, Md. (1-2-2-1-2-4-3-5-3), 23. Showed its winning '02 style after a slip last year. "Last year we were OCS a bunch of times," Von Der Wense said. "Our goal this time was to stay out of trouble." Husband-wife John and Deneen Demourkas of Santa Barbara, Calif., drove his and her entries to fourth and third place, respectively---and were still compatible at week's end.

Melges 24 (58)---P&P Sailing Team, Philippe Ligot/Sebastian Col, France (1-(59)-1-2-1-6-7-3-2), 23. Ligot said, "We came here to study the other top teams. We were sailing without pressure because our target was not to win the regatta but rather the Worlds." That showdown is scheduled for August in Sweden.

J/105 (29)---Zuni Bear, Richard Bergmann, San Diego (1-(19)-1-2-1-1-9-6-7), 28. Last year's Boat of the Week was working on a runaway until Tom Coates' Masquerade from San Francisco got hot the last two days and forced Zuni Bear to claim victory on a tiebreaker---four wins to Masquerade's two.

J/80 (20)---Warrior, Craig and Martha White, Ft. Worth, Tex. ((13)-2-2-1-7-6-1-1-4), 24. A repeat for the husband-wife team from the Lone Star State.

Corsair 28R (10)---Bad Boys, Bob and Doug Harkrider, Augusta, Ga. (1-1-3-2-1-(5)-1-2-2), 13. Repeat winners but, oh brothers!---this time they had to beat America's best multihull sailor, Randy Smyth, who finished third behind Condor from Florida by one point.

Corsair 24 (9)---Breaking Wind, Robert Remmers, Buda, Tex. ((10)-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-2), 10. A two-boat contest. Steve Marsh's I-Fly, Miami, FL, had two firsts and six seconds.

C&C 99 (11)---Trumpeter, Colin Andrews, Toronto, Canada (1-(4)-3-1-1-2-2-3-1), 14. A smash debut for this new class. Helmsman Wally Hogan, a winner by 14 points, said, "We got mediocre starts, but we caught most of the shifts and sailed very clean."

T-10 (8)---Liquor Box, Chuck Simon/Bill Buckles, Vermilion, Ohio and Key West (1-2-3-1-1-3-1-1-(9)), 13. A bittersweet victory after owner Simon went home early following the death of his brother. "He gave us a really inspiring talk before leaving," Buckles said. "I'm proud we were able to finish off the series so well for Chuck."

PHRF 1 (9)---Chippewa (Swan 68), Clay Deutsch, Road Harbour, BVI (7-1-1-1-(8)-1-1-1-1), 14. The boat's on the heavy side, but a crew of 18, strong winds and great tactics were a winning combination when you're finishing last, boat for boat, but getting 30 to 102 seconds from the rest of the fleet. "We came down here to see what Key West Race Week was all about," Deutsch said. "It's everything I've heard and more---great sailing and great racing. I've had an absolute blast."

PHRF 2 (8)---Storm (R/P 43), Les Crouch, San Diego (1-2-1-1-4-5-1-1-(9)), 16. With the smallest boat, Crouch said, "We tried to get off by ourselves rather than slug it out with everybody else. They are bigger and they do block your wind." And forget handicaps---boat for boat, Storm had four seconds and two thirds. North Sails President Gary Weisman was tactician.

IMS (5)---Talisman, Marco Birch, New York, N.Y. (DSQ-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1), 9. Birch said, "This boat bas been optimized for winds in the 12-16 range, so the conditions were very much to our liking."

PHRF 3 (8)---Raincloud (J/133), Mike Rose, Kemah, Tex. (1-1-(2)-1-1-1-2-1-1), 9. Brothers Jody and Jay Lutz drove and called tactics. They were having so much fun they raced the last day for the fun of it.

PHRF 4 (10)---Tiburon (Melges 30), Michael Gray/John Dane, New Orleans, La. (1-(5)-1-1-2-1-1-2-3), 12. Dane drove with his wife Leslie and son Shaffer as crew. Gray said, "We just went about our business."

PHRF 5 (12)---K2 (J/120), Luis Gonzalez, Mallets Bay, Vt. ((10)-2-1-2-9-1-2-3-3), 23. The way Howard Dean's week went, this was the best thing that happened for the state of Vermont.

PHRF 6 (14)---Bounder (Sydney 36), David Hudgel, Detroit (1-(5)-1-2-2-1-3-1-2), 13. Hudgel gave time to 10 boats but sailed consistently and won comfortably. This is the third Key West for Hudgel, who took 10th in a 13-boat class in 2002 then improved to 3rd in PHRF 5 a year ago.

PHRF 7 (12)---Phaedra (Evelyn 32-2), Robert Patroni, Pensacola, Fla. ((7)-1-3-2-1-2-2-5-3), 19. Evelyn 32s finished 1-2-3 as Phaedra held off Mike Perry's Bloody Hell from New Jersey by one point.

PHRF 8 (9)---So Far (Swan 48), Lawrence Hillman, Chicago, Ill. ((9)-2-1-5-2-1-2-1-1), 15. The Swan Performance Trophy winner was built in 1974. "It shows they built them great back then," Hillman said.

PHRF 9 (11)---Kelly (Beneteau 1st 10), Andrew Cheney, St. Petersburg, Fla. ((7)-3-1-5-6-2-1-1-2), 21. A strong stretch run that beat out John Edwards' J/29, Rhumb Punch, earned the Lewmar Trophy as PHRF Boat of the Week.

PHRF 10 (7)---Phantom (B-25), Frank Silver, Kill Devil Hills, N.C. (1-(6)-1-2-4-2-3-1-1), 15. As a tribute to its home port for the 100th anniversary of powered flight, this boat was airborne.

PHRF 11 (12)---Circus (J/30), Team Circus, Chicago, Ill. ((3)-2-3-2-3-3-1-3-1), 18. The circus was in town with a high-wire act that triumphed in a class that included five J/24s.

Complete results, photos and press releases: www.Premiere-Racing.com

CONTACTS

PREMIERE RACING, Inc. 67B Front Street, Marblehead, MA, 01945

Tel: (781) 639-9545, Fax: (781) 639-9171

Event Email: KWInfo@Premiere-Racing.com

Event Web Site: www.Premiere-Racing.com

Terra Nova Online: www.TerraNovaOnline.com/sail

MEDIA CENTER

(305) 295-9988

PRESS OFFICER

Rich Roberts

richsail@earthlink.net

Jan. 23, 2004 For Immediate Release

Friday's weather: 67 F.; 20-15K, gusts to 23, N-NE.

DUTCHMAN FLIES TO FARR 40 VICTORY AT KEY WEST

Shark Wins Again, But France's Col Collects Melges 24 Title

KEY WEST, Fla.---Mean Machine? Where'd they come from?

Upstaging the Farr 40 establishment, the way Peter De Ridder cleaned house Friday at Terra Nova Trading Key West 2004, presented by Nautica, he'll be paying excess baggage charges on his way home to Monaco and The Netherlands.

The Dutch investor is a longtime presence in world sailing with a series of Mean Machine racers but a relative novice in the slambang Farr 40 class. "We started low key," he said, "sneaked into second place [Thursday] with a fourth and a second, and all of a sudden . . ."

Winners of the class. Terra Nova Trading Trophy Boat of the Week for winning the most competitive class. A share of the Nautica Trophy International Team Competition victory, courtesy of the presenting sponsor.

Mean Machine was paired with Kristian Nergaard's Melges 24, Baghdad, from Norway as the Europe B team, which outsailed nine other Farr 40-Melges 24 global alliances.

"All of that makes it a very big day for us," De Ridder said, as he popped a bottle for the ceremonial champagne shower of his crew.

The only race they won was the last one. Mean Machine was locked in the midst of five boats in the 23-boat fleet separated by only two points as they sailed out into a cotton patch of whitecaps for the last of nine races---a Key West record---over five days. The emerald seas were churned up by 15-knot winds gusting to 23---the strongest of a solid week of moderate to heavy breeze.

Kelly, Andrew Cheney's Beneteau 1st 10 from St. Petersburg, Fla., received the Lewmar Trophy as PHRF Boat of the Week for winning PHRF 9, where six of the 10 racers won races but he won three.

Rumor, John Storck Jr.'s J/30 from Huntington, N.Y. was Terra Nova Trading Day Boat of the Day for winning Friday's finale, which earned fourth place overall.

France made a strong runner-up bid for the Nautica Trophy with Sebastian Col's victory over 14-year-old Samuel (Shark) Kahn in the Melges 24s---although Kahn won his third race in a row Friday---but Erik Maris' Twins 2 was too far back in the Farr 40s in 13th.

Kahn, the current world champion, won four of nine races and led most of the week as Col, sailing Philippe Ligot's P&P Sailing Team entry, dragged a 59-point anchor around the course for jumping the starting line Monday. But when Col was able to discard that score after the seventh race, the contest turned around.

Kahn, now trailing by five points, did everything he could except put the necessary boats between himself and the Frenchman. He match-raced Col off the pin end of the line and chased him relentlessly around the seven-leg, 14-mile course until passing him on the last upwind beat to the finish to win by three boat lengths, with his father Philippe a close third to claim fifth place overall.

"We got 'em on a shift," Shark Kahn said. "They were down and we were up. Everybody hiked their butts off."

Col said, "We wanted to stay close to Shark the whole time. We wanted to finish in the top five. We started in the same position as Shark, and by the middle of the first beat we were in front and were able to sail our own course and focus on going fast."

Were the Kahns disappointed? Not much.

"That's pretty good---two boats in the top five," Philippe Kahn said. "The French sailed fast. Without the throwouts, he [Shark] wins the regatta. But the French deserved to win. They're a great team."

The conditions all week were such that most of the 3,000 sailors who worked 301 boats from 18 countries and 32 states were going home happy, no matter where they finished.

"The first run was a lot of fun," Kahn said, reveling in the surfing conditions. "We got four firsts. We were more consistent than we were in the Worlds. But the French won fair and square."

His father said, "It's a great event---a perfect regatta. The race committee did a great job. Starting 58 boats isn't easy. They talk on the radio and explain everything to you. It's awesome. It's the greatest regatta in North America."

Shark and Col have a certain bond, as well. Both speak French. Kahn's father, a software entrepreneur, grew up in France, as did his mother.

"I picked it up listening to my parents talk," Shark said.

Certainly, De Ridder had no complaints, in any language. His first Farr 40 experience was 15th place at Key West last year.

"I'd never helmed a boat at this high a level," he said. "At the start I was a little bit nervous but controlled. The tighter it gets the more I like it and the better I start. I like it when the pressure is on. We were right at the pin end and lifted [on the wind]."

Mean Machine and Marc Ewing's Riot, from Northeast Harbor, Maine, both fired off the pin, kept going left and partway up the beat were able to cross the fleet on port tack. Mean Machine passed Riot downwind to take the lead for keeps, then fought off Jim Richardson's Barking Mad, Newport, R.I., by about four boat lengths at the finish.

Barking Mad was second overall, ahead of Crocodile Rock, the Alexandra Geremia/Scott Harris defending champion from California that reached the last day with a one-point lead but finished seventh in the finale.

"We had an OK start, but it's tough sailing," said Harris, the helmsman. "The fleet has improved . . . more boats, better prepared. Look at the guys on the winning boat."

The winning lineup: De Ridder, helm; Ray Davies, tactician; Sander Van Der Borch, bow; Dennis Goethals, pit; Eduard Van Lierde, floater-grinder; Marieke Poulie, floater; Dirk De Ridder (no relation to Peter), downwind trimmer; Matt Reynolds, main; Jon Gunderson, upwind trimmer; Rutger Van Eeuwijk, mast. Davies and Gunderson are New Zealanders, Reynolds is from San Diego and all the others are Dutch.

Seven different boats finished first in the nine Farr 40 races.

Rich Bergmann's Zuni Bear from San Diego, last year's Boat of the Week, repeated its J/105 victory---by a hair---in an all-California showdown with Tom Coates' onrushing Masquerade from San Francisco. Zuni Bear won four of six races, then slipped to 9-6-7 as Masquerade closed out the week 1-4-1. That left both with 28 points but Zuni Bear with more wins for the tiebreaker.

Swan 45 and C&C 99 one-design fleets were new on the scene. Six of the eight Swans won races, but consistency was key for Thomas Stark's RUSH (Reloaded), Newport, R.I., with Ed Baird as tactician.

Wally Hogan's Trumpeter, one of six C&C 99 entries from central Canada, won four of the nine races.

The Swan Performance Trophy went to So Far, Lawrence Hillman's Swan 48 from Chicago, for its consistent dominance in PHRF 8, where it was first or second in seven races.

Trimarans were introduced to the event two years ago and reached new heights this time. Bob and Doug Harkrider, hardcore Corsair 28R campaigners from Augusta, Ga., won four races to prevail over the Freudenberg/Hudgins Condor, Sewall's Point, Fla., and Ken Winters' Rocketeer II, Miami Beach, which had Randy Smyth on the tiller.

The new Corsair 24 class was won by Robert Remmers, sailing Breaking Wind from Buda, Tex.

Title Sponsor, Terra Nova Trading, L.L.C. (member NASD, SIPC & PCX), is recognized as an innovative leader in Electronic Direct Access Trading. The Chicago-based firm enables customers to electronically route orders to major markets and ECNs. Terra Nova Trading's technology partner, Townsend Analytics, Ltd., is the developer of the premier real-time trading platform, RealTick(r), which is also a Key West sponsor.

Nautica is the Presenting Sponsor. he winners of the multi-boat International Team Competition will received the Nautica Trophy.

Mount Gay Rum, Lewmar, Samson Rope Technologies, Pearson Yachts, Raymarine and the Florida Keys and Key West Tourist Development Council round out the official line-up. The Historic Seaport is the Official Site for the event. The Performance Sailing Industry Partner Program, now in its third year, features 26 companies that have made a multi-year commitment to the event.

CLASS WINNERS (9 races)

Swan 45 (8 boats)---RUSH (Reloaded), Thomas Stark, Newport, R.I. (4-2-2-4-1-2-4-5-1), 25 points.

Farr 40 (23)---1. Mean Machine, Peter de Ridder, The Netherlands (6-7-18-5-6-12-4-2-1), 61; 2. Barking Mad, James Richardson, Newport, R.I. (2-8-6-8-16-4-15-1-2), 62; 3. Riot, Marc Ewing, Northeast Harbor, Me. (18-12-3-6-11-3-3-5-4), 65; 4. Crocodile Rock, Alexandra Geremia/Scott Harris, Santa Barbara, Calif. (9-2-8-9-3-8-6-7-13-7), 66; 5. Warpath, Steve and Fred Howe, San Diego (10-6-7-1-1-19-9-8-12), 68.6.

Mumm 30 (13)---Turbo Duck, Bodo Von Der Wense, Annapolis (1-2-2-1-2-4-3-5-3), 23.

Melges 24 (58)---1. P&P Sailing Team, Philippe Ligot/Seb Col, France (1-(59)-1-2-1-6-7-3-2), 23; 2. Pegasus 492, Samuel (Shark) Kahn, Waikiki, H.I. (4-5-4-1-(14)-10-1-1-1), 27.

J/105 (29)---1. Zuni Bear, Richard Bergmann, San Diego (1-(19)-1-2-1-1-9-6-7), 28; 2. Masquerade, Tom Coates, San Francisco (3-(11)-4-6-3-6-1-4-1), 28 (Zuni Bear wins tiebreaker).

J/80 (20)---Warrior, Craig and Martha White, Ft. Worth, Tex. ((13)- 2-2-1-7-6-1-1-4), 24.

J/120 (7)---Oui B5, John Sylvia, San Francisco (1-(6)-5-1-2-5-4-3-1), 22.

Corsair 28R (10)---Bad Boys, Bob and Doug Harkrider, Augusta, Ga. (1-1-3-2-1-(5)-1-2-2), 13.

Corsair 24 (9)---Breaking Wind, Robert Remmers, Buda, Tex. ((10)-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-2), 10.

C&C 99 (11)---Trumpeter, Colin Andrews, Toronto (1-(4)-3-1-2-2-2-3-1), 14.

T-10 (8)---Liquor Box, Chuck Simon/Bill Buckles, Key West (1-2-3-1-1-3-1-1-(9)), 13.

PHRF 1 (9)---Chippewa (Swan 68), Clay Deutsch, Road Harbour, BVI (7-1-1-1-(8)-1-1-1-1), 14.

PHRF 2 (8)---Storm (R/P 43), Les Crouch, San Diego (1-2-1-1-4-5-1-1-(9)), 16.

IMS (6)---Talisman, Marco Birch, Newport, R.I. (DSQ-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1), 9.

PHRF 3 (8)---Raincloud (J/133), Mike Rose, Kemah, Tex. (1-1-(2)-1-1-1-2-1-1), 9.

PHRF 4 (10)---Tiburon (Melges 30), Michael Gray, New Orleans (1-(5)-1-1-2-1-1-2-3), 12.

PHRF 5 (12)---K2 (J/120), Luis Gonzalez, Mallets Bay, Vt. ((10)-2-1-2-4-1-2-3-3), 2.

PHRF 6 (14)---Bounder (Sydney 36), David Hudgel, Detroit (1-(5)-1-2-2-1-3-1-2), 13.

PHRF 7 (12)---Phaedra (Evelyn 32-2), Robert Patroni, Pensacola, Fla. ((7)-1-3-2-2-1-2-5-3), 19.

PHRF 8 (9)---So Far (Swan 48), Lawrence Hillman, Chicago ((9)-2-1-5-2-1-2-1-1), 15.

PHRF 9 (11)---Kelly (Beneteau 1st 10), Andrew Cheney, St. Petersburg, Fla. ((7)-3-1-5-6-2-1-1-2), 21.

PHRF 10 (7)---Phantom (B-25), Frank Silver, Kill Devil Hills, N.C. (1-(6)-1-2-4-2-3-1-1), 15.

PHRF 11 (12)---Circus (J/30), Team Circus, Chicago ((3)-2-3-2-3-3-1-3-1), 18.

Complete results, photos and press releases at

www.premiere-racing.com/

CONTACTS

PREMIERE RACING, Inc. 67B Front Street, Marblehead, MA, 01945

Tel: (781) 639-9545, Fax: (781) 639-9171

Event Email: KWInfo@Premiere-Racing.com

Event Web Site: www.Premiere-Racing.com

Terra Nova Online: www.TerraNovaOnline.com/sail

MEDIA CENTER

(305) 295-9988

PRESS OFFICER

Rich Roberts

cell phone (310) 766-6547

richsail@earthlink.net

Jan. 22, 2004 For Immediate Release

Thursday's weather: 65 F.; wind 14, gusts to 20, N-NW.

Friday's forecast: 60-65 F.; 15-20K, N.

FARR 40S FINISH KEY WEST IN A 5-WAY SHOOTOUT

France's Sebastian Col Defends 5-Point Lead Against the Shark in Melges 24s

KEY WEST, Fla.---Three boats have clinched class championships with a race to spare in Terra Nova Trading Key West 2004, presented by Nautica, but center stage is set for a fiery final act in the internationally spiced Farr 40 and Melges 24 classes Friday.

The top five of 23 Farr 40s are within two points, precariously led by Crocodile Rock. Alexandra Geremia and Scott Harris' defending champion from Santa Barbara has no wins but a one-point lead. Jim Richardson's Barking Mad, Newport, R.I., and Peter de Ridder's Dutch entry, Mean Machine, share second, with Steve and Fred Howe's Warpath, San Diego, and Marc Ewing's Riot, Northeast Harbor, Maine, another point back.

Geremia said, "It'll probably be an exciting day tomorrow."

How the day will go between France's Sebastian Col and California's 14-year-old world champion, Samuel (Shark) Kahn, to settle the Melges 24 issue is anyone's guess. Although Kahn won both races on a windy Thursday, Col, helmsman for Philippe Ligot's P&P Sailing Team, discarded his 59-point second race and leads by five points coming into the ninth and final go-round. Nobody else can catch them.

"Tomorrow we can match race," said Col, 26, the 2002 European rankings champion, 2003 U.S. national champion and strategist for France's Le Defi Challenge in the last America's Cup. "I'm very confident with my match racing because I'm match racing all the time. He's very fast but we can sail fast, too. If I was in his place I would match race us, especially on the start."

Les Crouch of San Diego, Mike Rose of Kemah, Tex. and Michael Gray of New Orleans will be more laid back. Crouch's R/P 43 Storm, Rose's J/133 Raincloud and Gray's Melges 30 Tiburon have first place secured in PHRF 2, 3 and 4, respectively.

Thursday's sidelights included an America's Cup veteran, Peter Holmberg, going overboard off Tom Hill's R/P 75 Titan, the largest boat in the regatta, and Joerg Esdom's J/105 Kincsem from Rye, N.Y. losing its mast in a collision with a non-regatta powerboat while returning to port after winning the last race.

Holmberg suffered a sprained left ankle but none of Kincsem's crew was injured, although they'll be unable to sail without a mast Friday. An unidentified woman on the powerboat was treated for a head injury.

Meanwhile, the California roll continued for Boat of the Day honors. Tom Coates' J/105 Masquerade from San Francisco made it 4-for-4 on Lewmar Day after first and fourth places and is six points behind a familiar California foe, Rich Bergmann's frontrunning Zuni Bear.

Crocodile Rock finished seventh and 13th Thursday---its first double-digit finish---but hung onto its lead. Tactician Vince Brun said, "It's like a basketball game in this class. The first part is just showtime. The last five minutes is when everything happens."

And what will Brun's game plan be?

"You can't say you’re going to cover this guy or that guy," he said. "You just do the best you can. Can we do it? We've done it before."

Steve Howe of Warpath said, "It seems like the regatta's just starting tomorrow. We'll watch our competition and sail as aggressively or conservatively as we have to."

And is he up for it?

"It's why we're here," he said with a big smile. "I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now."

Barking Mad won Thursday's second race after a 15th in the first when it had to do a 720-degree penalty turn for rear-ending Eric Moog's Dynamo. The first race went to three-time Key West champion George Andreadis' Atalanti XII, the only boat besides Warpath to win two races.

Young Kahn said the team's video showed that he jumped the starting horn only once, not twice, the previous day when he scored 14th and 10th places. Be that as it may, "We were just a little more conservative today. Richard [Clarke] called brilliant tactics. We were always lifted upwind and headed downwind."

He and Col each has three wins, so if Kahn wins the finale and Col goes sixth or worse, Kahn will win on a tiebreaker. If Kahn finishes five places better but doesn't win the race, Col wins the tiebreaker with one second place to Kahn's none.

One thing is certain: Kahn's crew will have been thoroughly primed by Team Pegasus Coach Mark Reynolds, a tactical master with two gold and one silver Olympic medals and two world Star class championships. Whether the game plan involves Kahn's father Philippe, currently seventh after a second and a sixth Thursday, remains to be seen.

Holm berg's strategy on Titan is clear. "I won't be running to the front [of the boat]," he said.

That's what got him into trouble Thursday. When the spinnaker takedown went awry at the first leeward mark in the first race, he dashed forward to help sort it out. It was Titan's second such incident in two days. Bowman Ken Nevor went swimming Tuesday.

"A rope got wrapped around my ankle," Holmberg said, "and as it started coming taut from the spinnaker dragging behind us [I realized] it was going to drag me through the stanchions, [so] I jumped over the side."

Fortunately, someone then cut the line and Holmberg was fished out by a mark boat and returned to Titan, where crewmate Chris Doscher applied first aid. Holmberg later was taken to an emergency hospital, where X-rays showed no fracture, but he has rope burns and a serious sprain. He planned to sail Friday with his ankle heavily wrapped.

Nautica has upgraded its role to the Presenting Sponsor level. The winners of the multi-boat International Team Competition will receive the Nautica Trophy.

Jan. 21, 2004 -- For Immediate Release

Wednesday's weather: 67 F.; wind 15 NW, gusts 17 N.
Thursday's forecast: 70 F.; wind 10 N in morning, increasing to 15.

THE FRENCH POISED TO GO SHARK HUNTING
Discards Kick In at Key West With Seventh Race Today

KEY WEST, Fla.---To those who think Samuel (Shark) Kahn had an off-day at Terra Nova Trading Key West 2004, presented by Nautica, Wednesday with 14th- and 10th-place finishes, think again. The 14-year-old phenom of the Melges24 class twice spotted his 57 rivals an advantage by having to return to the line after crossing before the starting horn---but finished the day by increasing his lead from 12 to 14 points.

"Stuff happens," said Mark Reynolds, coach of the Santa Cruz, Calif.-based Team Pegasus. "They did a great job coming back."

But a moment of reckoning is due Thursday. The worst stuff that happened to most of the 301 boats from 18 countries and 32 states will be forgiven when the discard rule kicks in after the seventh race---a blessed event for especially for the French.

Philippe Ligot's P&P Sailing Team, with former European champion Sebastian Col driving, has won half the Melges 24 races this week but remained out of the lead pack while carrying a 59-point burden for failing to return after an overanxious start of their own Monday. If they and the Shark both discarded their worst scores now, the French would lead with 11 points to Kahn's 24. But there is still a lot of sailing to do.

Only the Division 1 boats---Farr 40s, Swan 45s and Mumm 30s---must count all of their races of the nine scheduled through Friday, so the Farr 40s especially seem destined to continue as a dogfight. Crocodile Rock, Alexandra Geremia and Scott Harris' defending champion from Santa Barbara, Calif., is the third leader in three days---without winning a race.

The secret is that it's the only one of the 23 boats without a double-digit finish, the same formula that won for them a year ago---a title last year and in first place again without running a race the last two years.

Fred and Steve Howe's Warpath, the co-leader from San Diego a day earlier, has a clear handle on the situation after finishing first and 19th in
Wednesday's fluky moderate winds.

Steve Howe, the younger family partner who drives, said, "It was shifty out there . . . hard to stay in phase [with the wind shifts]. In the first race we were definitely in phase and in the second race we couldn't get into phase. Today was a good example of what it's like in this class. It could be worse."

Warpath shares third place with Jim Richardson's Barking Mad, Newport, R.I., five points off the pace, with a reborn John MacLaurin, the 70-year-old phenom from L.A., holding Pendragon V on a role only 1.8 points out of first place.

A similar scrap is going on among the biggest boats in PHRF 1, where three rivals are within five points of Clay Deutsch's Swan 68, Chippewa, sailing their handicaps for all they're worth against the fastest rated pair---Tom Hill's R/P 75 Titan and Bill Alcott's Andrews 68 Equation---who are running an easy 1-2 boat-for-boat consistently but finding it difficult to cover from so far ahead.

With the clock calculations, Roger Sturgeon's San Francisco-based Transpac 52, Rosebud, scored a first and fourth Wednesday to win Mount Gay Rum Boat of the Day honors---extending a sweep this week for West Coast boats, although owner Roger Sturgeon has lived in Ft. Lauderdale the last two years.

"We feel like the most improved boat this week," said Sturgeon, who won the class last year and is in third place now. "It isn't quite as easy as last year. This is harder than most one-design racing. The adrenaline pumping is what it's all about. Win or lose, it's just a blast."

Other significant performances came from American multihull icon Randy Smyth, who drove Ken Winters' Corsair 28R trimaran Rocketeer II past Bob and Doug Harkrider's Bad Boys into first place by two points, and Rich Bergmann's Zuni Bear, the 2003 Boat of the Week from San Diego that scored two firsts and will toss an opening day 19th Thursday. That will all but wrap up the J/105 title again.

Then there is the Mumm 30 affair between John and Deneen Demourkas, husband and wife, from Santa Barbara. After a few years of Deneen driving the family Farr 40, they now have separate boats---both winners Wednesday.

Although they're running third and fifth overall, John said, "It'll be a happy camp tonight."

Ross Macdonald, a former world Star class champion from Vancouver, B.C., is calling tactics for John.

"After a few days I started listening to Ross," John said.

Do they race each other?

John: "She was on my air today, so I don't know. Fact is, I don't have any concept of where she is."

Deneen: "We keep an eye on him. Gotta keep him under control."

Shark Kahn seemed not at all disappointed about his day. "Each race we passed a lot of boats . . . maybe 40 or so," he said. "But we shouldn't depend on that."

Father Philippe paid a more severe price, slipping from second to ninth place on a 30-22 day. When he jumped the start in the second race, he didn't hear his sail number hailed on the radio until he was so far up the course that he hoisted his spinnaker to go back downwind to re-start.

"That cost him about six minutes," Reynolds said.

Title Sponsor, Terra Nova Trading, L.L.C. (member NASD, SIPC & PCX), is recognized as an innovative leader in Electronic Direct Access Trading. The Chicago-based firm enables customers to electronically route orders to major markets and ECNs. Terra Nova Trading's technology partner, Townsend Analytics, Ltd., is the developer of the premier real-time trading platform, RealTick(r), which is also a Key West sponsor.

Nautica is the Presenting Sponsor level. The winners of the multi-boat International Team Competition will receive the Nautica Trophy.

Mount Gay Rum, Lewmar, Samson Rope Technologies, Pearson Yachts, Raymarine and the Florida Keys and Key West Tourist Development Council round out the official line-up. The Historic Seaport is the Official Site for the event.
The Performance Sailing Industry Partner Program, now in its third year, features 26 companies that have made a multi-year commitment to the event.

Jan. 20, 2004 ---- For Immediate Release

Tuesday's weather: 69 F.; wind 12-15 knots N.

Wednesday's forecast: 70 F.; wind 10-15 knots N, seas 1-2 feet.

TUESDAY WAS ONE FOR THE AGES, FROM 14 TO 70

MacLaurin and Kahn (the Younger) Show Sailing Has No Bounds

KEY WEST, Fla.---It must be the Florida water. Jack McKeon managed the Marlins to a World Series victory at age 73, and Tuesday's winners at Terra Nova Trading Key West 2004, presented by Nautica, ranged from 14 to 70.

John MacLaurin, a lifelong sailor from Los Angeles who just became a septuagenarian, celebrated his initiation into the international Farr 40 class by sailing his new Pendragon V to City of Key West Boat of the Day honors with first- and third-place finishes, and guess who took over first place from his father in the Melges 24s.

Samuel (Shark) Kahn of Santa Cruz, Calif. and Hawaii went 4-1 and flew away from the rest of that 58-boat fleet with a 12-point lead after four of nine races. This is the same Shark who stunned the sport last October by winning the Melges 24 Worlds---the youngest sailor ever to win a major world championship, as far as anyone knows.

Despite MacLaurin's success, Steve and John Howe's Warpath from San Diego, with John Cutler as tactician, and James Richardson's consistently sailed Barking Mad, Newport, R.I., with Terry Hutchinson, slipped into a first-place tie among the 23 boats. Warpath won the second race in ideal conditions of 12-15 knots of breeze and relatively smooth seas.

“The key to winning (the regatta) is not necessarily to win any of the individual races,” Steve Howe said. “It’s consistently being among the top five or eight boats. The boats are so competitive and everyone is going the same speed, so it’s easy to finish 15th or worse.”

MacLaurin is fifth, 10.7 points off the lead, after gaining redress for restarting after a mistaken OCS call on Monday.

A few other sailors also tested the emerald waters, although not by choice. Bowman Ken Nevor went swimming off Tom Hill's R/P 75 Titan from Newport, R.I. when a line tangled around his foot. The crew recovered Nevor after a minute of surfing alongside but lost their spinnaker in the process.

Three crew members on Stuart Townsend's Farr 40, Virago, were dumped during a Farr 40 start when a lifeline gave way. All were quickly recovered unharmed and joined MacLaurin and others in the reception tent afterward to enjoy the moment.

"These [Farr 40] guys are really good," MacLaurin said. "You have to work your butt off. But it feels so good when you get it right."

Fellow California Yacht Club member Bob Little and Whitbread/America's Cup veteran Kimo Worthington were his tacticians, and MacLaurin said he had little trouble conforming to the class's owner-driver rule that says the owner must drive for the start, finish and all mark roundings but can take relief at other times.

"I like to drive," MacLaurin said. "When I get locked in I don't want to change. Monday I [drove] both races the whole time and got too tired. Today I took a 15-minute break in each race."

On the other hand, the younger Kahn isn't nearly old enough to drive---a car, anyway. But he has an excellent handle on a Melges 24. He took over first place from his dad Philippe, who dropped to second with a 20th after three consecutive seconds.

Rival Kristian Nergaard of Norway, currently in fourth place, is among the rivals who realize that they'll have to lift their games to stop the Kahns from double-teaming their way into dominance of the class.

"[Shark] has a really good team and he's doing a good job," Nergaard said. "Having the right team is important."

Shark's crew is the same he had for the Worlds: Richard Clarke, Brian Hutchinson, Mark Christensen and Brian Lee. Father Philippe has Morgan Larson, Stu Bannatyne and Doogie Couvreux.

"And their coach is Mark Reynolds, who's won two gold and one silver Olympic medals," Nergaard said. "But the young man is doing a good job and he's working hard to get there. You can't take anything away from him."

Shark attends a private school in Santa Cruz but took leave to sail here.

His father said, "He does well in school, too, especially in math and science. He studies every day. That's a condition. He wouldn't sail if he didn't."

Sailing itself can be an education. Other successful competitors talked about playing the shifts in tight fleets.

Leonardo Ferragamo, the Nautor's Swan chief competing in the new Swan 45 one-design class, said after a 1-3 day, "It was very shifty, but I find it's a lot of fun when the conditions are like that."

Richard Bergmann, whose Zuni Bear from San Diego was Boat of the Week last year, said after a 1-2 day that moved him into first place by one point, "It's easier with two of these Southern California kids that know the shifts on the boat."

He referred to Sean Bennett of UC Berkeley and John Horsch of USC.

Bennett called it "college sailing---really shifty and tactical, rather than all-out racing."

Horsch said, "We can chip away and work our way back up."

Nautica has upgraded its role to the Presenting Sponsor level. The winners of the multi-boat International Team Competition will receive the Nautica Trophy.

Jan. 19, 2004 For Immediate Release

Monday's weather: 76 F.; winds 7-10 knots SW, some rain, building to 15 SW-W.

Tuesday's forecast: 70 F.; 15-20K NW-N, dropping to 12K in afternoon.

FARR 40 ROOKIES AND FATHER-SON FAST OUT OF THE GATE

Giovanni Wins Debut in Tough Class; Philippe and Shark Kahn 1-3 in Melges

KEY WEST, Fla.---One day does not make a regatta, but opening day of Terra Nova Trading Key West 2004, presented by Nautica, left the dynamic international Farr 40 and Melges 24 fleets something to munch on besides conch fritters for the rest of the week.

Maspero Giovanni and his Joe Fly crew from Lecco, Italy, won the first Farr 40 race they ever sailed Monday and smoked that tough crowd with first- and fourth-place finishes, while Philippe Kahn and his 14-year-old world champion son Samuel (a.k.a. Shark) from Santa Cruz, Calif. and Hawaii are first and third among 58 Melges 24s. They are separated by Britain's unheralded John Pollard in second.

Racing for 301 boats in 21 classes is scheduled to continue through Friday.

The Joe Fly guys also sail a mean Melges 24 (fourth here a year ago) and a Mumm 30 on the European circuit, but they hadn't seen their new Farr 40 until last week. They got in four days of practice, then went out Monday for real.

"The difference with the Farr 40 is that it's easy," said Giovanni, who was at the wheel in the owner-driver class, with Luca Santella matching tactical wits with a flock of superstars.

In the second race, with the wind building to 15 knots, they were 15th at the first mark but picked off enough boats to put four points between themselves and three-time Key West winner George Andreadis' Atalanti XII (Robbie Haines), followed by Jim Richardson's Barking Mad (Terry Hutchinson) and defending champion Alexandra Geremia's and helmsman Scott Harris' Crocodile Rock (Vince Brun).

The Kahns claim they aren't team-racing the fleet but that it's every man and boy for himself. "We're always racing in-house," Philippe the father said.

Morgan Larson, a member of Philippe Kahn's crew, noted that "we jibed on [Shark's] wind a couple of times and passed him downwind to get second in the first race."

Shark the son was asked if he felt his rivals regarded him differently on the race course since he won the class Worlds convincingly at San Francisco last September.

"Not really," he said.

Well, does anybody yell at you? he was asked.

"My dad," he said.

Philippe Kahn had a right to shout. His Pegasus 575, with a pair of seconds, won Nautica Day Boat of the Day honors.

Philippe Ligot's French entry, the P&P Sailing Team with Sebastian Col driving, won the first race but took an OCS hit in the second and is 28^thoverall. Dawn Riley's debut with an all-girl Detroit team struggled in 43^rd place.

For sheer elegance, the Swan 45s stepped out in style for the first time with an eight-boat fleet and, appropriately, the Nautor's Swan brothers swapped wins as the elder Leonardo emerged atop the fleet on the day, while Massimo stood fourth.

San Francisco's Dee Smith, tactician for Craig Speck's second-place VIM from Newport, R.I., liked the ride. "All the boats seem to go the same speed," he said, "although it's too early to tell after two races. They're great boats to race against other Swans."

Four boats, including both Corsair trimaran leaders, had perfect days. Bob Harkrider, Augusta, Ga., sailed his Corsair 28R Bad Boys to a pair of firsts, as did Robert Remmers, Des Moines, Iowa, on Breaking Wind.

Mike Rose's J/133, Raincloud, from Kemah, Tex. and Jim Hightower's Farr 37, Hot Ticket, Houston, Tex. also was unbeatable in PHRF 3 and 8, respectively.

Nautica has upgraded its role to the Presenting Sponsor level. The winners of the multi-boat International Team Competition will receive the Nautica Trophy.

The Performance Sailing Industry Partner Program, now in its third year, features 26 companies that have made a multi-year commitment to the event.

Jan. 18, 2004 For Immediate Release

BOUNTIFUL BREEZE AWAITS 301 BOATS WHEN RACING STARTS MONDAY

Crocodile Rock, Zuni Bear Among Dozen Winners Returning to Key West

KEY WEST, Fla.---She's been rocked and rolled and bashed by a boom, but the tough little lady from Santa Barbara, Calif. is back for Terra Nova Trading Key West 2004, presented by Nautica, as the defending champion in the slambang international Farr 40 class.

"That sounds really good!" Alexandra Geremia said. "It has been pretty wild."

Her Crocodile Rock, with co-owner Scott Harris of San Diego at the helm and North Sails' Vince Brun calling tactics, is one of a dozen returning class winners and 301 boats overall scheduled to start five days of racing Monday at 10 a.m., conditions permitting---and conditions could be exhilarating.

The North Sails weather briefing by meteorologist Chris Bedford offered this week-long synopsis: "The cold front marching east across the Gulf of Mexico Sunday night is forecast to move through during the day on Monday. After an unsettled day with multiple shifts and an increase in pressure from the NW on Monday, conditions should settle with high pressure moving north of Florida Tuesday through Wednesday.

"After moderate winds continue through Tuesday, lighter conditions are forecast for Wednesday and most of Thursday before the next front arrives and brings potentially strong NW winds on Friday."

Hang on—it could be the best test of sailing anywhere in the world this week.

More than 3,000 sailors have come from 18 countries and 32 states to this quaint little island town that is the southernmost point in the continental United States. The schedule calls for nine races in each of the 10 one-design and 11 PHRF handicap classes. Four race courses are spread out over 10 miles along the south side of the island between the beach and a reef five miles offshore that minimizes the influence of the Gulf Stream flowing west to east. The water temperature is 70 degrees.

This year's event, the 17th in the series now organized by Premiere Racing, Inc., will mark the debuts of the Swan 45s and C&C 99s, who have massed enough boats to rate as classes of their own---and, especially for the Swans, that's class with a capital C. As in the Farr 40 and some other one-design classes, owners must drive. The crew lists of the nine Nautor-built luxury racers are sprinkled with talent such as Ed Baird, Brad Read, Murray Jones, Dee Smith, Howie Shiebler, Butch Ulmer, Steve Benjamin, Kevin Burnham and Leonardo Ferragamo, the Nautor Swan chief who is skipper of Courdileone.

That world-class name-dropping rivals the lineup of tacticians in the Farr 40s, which includes, besides Brun, Robbie Haines, Terry Hutchinson, Adrian Stead, Chris Larson, Kimo Worthington, Eric Doyle, Tom Whidden and John Cutler. Hutchinson will be working with his right arm in a sling after suffering an elbow injury in his Star boat last weekend.

Also, two America's Cup principals---Alinghi tactician Brad Butterworth and Oracle helmsman Peter Holmberg, now with Alinghi---are tacticians for Daniel Meyers' Taylor 49, Numbers 97, in PHRF 2 and Tom Hill's R/P 75, Titan 12, in PHRF 1, respectively.

With its 2003 victory, Geremia's Crocodile Rock ended Atalanti XII's three-year win streak. Greek businessman George Andreadis is back hoping to reclaim honors, but the fleet is traditionally a wide-open scramble. At last year's class Worlds in Sardinia, for example, Geremia was struck on the head when rival Barking Mad's boom swept the deck of her boat.

"It just grazed me," she said. "Didn't bleed much. But we lost our lifelines and had a couple of little holes in the boat. We still had two firsts and a second for the week. We're back here with the same crew, same everything. We think we're better after another year of sailing."

Another headliner returning is Richard Bergmann's well-traveled Zuni Bear from San Diego, winner of the rambunctious J/105 class and the Terra Nova Trading Trophy as Boat of the Week for winning the most competitive class last year.

Other 2003 one-design winners back on the scene:

Franco Rossini's Melges 24, Blu Mun, from Switzerland, driven by former world champion Flavio Favini of Italy. The talent runs deep in the 58-boat fleet, including the current 14-year-old world champ, Samuel (Shark) Kahn of Santa Cruz, Calif., and Dawn Riley, with an all-woman crew from Detroit.

Bob and Doug Harkrider's Corsair 28R trimaran, Bad Boys, from Belvedere, S.C.

Craig and Martha White's J/80, Warrior, from Ft. Worth, Tex.

John Edwards' J/29, Rhumb Punch, from Solomon, Md.

Chuck Simon and Bill Buckles' Tartan 10, Liquor Box, a hometown Key West entry.

PHRF winners returning:

Roger Sturgeon's Transpac 52, Rosebud, from San Francisco, in PHRF 1.

New Wave, Michael Carroll's Henderson 30 from Clearwater, Fla., in PHRF 4.

Jeff Gastreau and Brian Lees' Nelson/Marek 30, Invincible, from Annapolis, which won PHRF 7 last year and is in PHRF 9 this time.

Jim Hightower's Farr 37, Hot Ticket, from Houston, Tex., in PHRF 8.

Rumblefisch, Peter Fischel's J/24 that has been chartered by Chuck Collins of Charleston, S.C. this year, in PHRF 10. Collins laughed when he said, "I don't think it will be a repeat this year. All of us are pretty unfamiliar with a J/24. A C&C 40o is our normal boat."

Nautica has upgraded its role to the Presenting Sponsor level. The winners of the multi-boat International Team Competition will receive the Nautica Trophy.

DAWN RILEY JOINS LINEUP OF THE FAST AND FAMOUS
Racing for 302 Boats Starts Next Monday at Terra Nova Trading Key West 2004

Jan. 12, 2004 For Immediate Release

KEY WEST, Fla.---In its 17-year growth into Terra Nova Trading Key West 2004, presented by Nautica, North America's largest keelboat regatta has matured into a midwinter pilgrimage for many of the world's best professional and amateur sailors.

Signing in this year, among others, are Ed Baird, Stu Bannatyne, Vince Brun, Brad Butterworth, Paul Cayard, Eric Doyle, Pease Glaser, Robbie Haines, Terry Hutchinson, Chris Larson, Ross Macdonald, Harry Melges, Adrian Stead, Tom Whidden---and, for the first time in a long time, Dawn Riley, a former Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year and America's leading advocate for women in sports.

Five days of racing start next Monday for what are currently 302 entries from 18 countries and 32 states, competing in 11 PHRF and 10 one-design classes on boats from 24 to 75 feet, including two new classes of Swan 45s and C&C 99s.

Riley, 39, sailed on a 50-footer, Gem, in the inaugural Key West regatta in 1988 and most recently on a 1D48 in '97. Then she became too busy with America's Cups and promoting the interests of women not only in sailing but in sports in general. She is halfway through her two-year term as president of the Women's Sports Foundation founded by Billie Jean King in 1974.

She'll be at the helm of a last-minute Melges 24 entry, M&M, from her hometown of Detroit that also includes her sister Dana, longtime crewmate Katie Pettibone, Nancy Hood and the boat's owner, Mary Anne Ward.

"Katie and Dana were at the bar at Bayview Yacht Club [and said], 'Hey, let's do it!' " Riley said. "It's a bunch of single girls going sailing in Key West, except for Mary Anne, who is married."

Riley recalled last sailing a Melges 24 as part of Bill Koch's all-woman-plus-Dave-Dellenbaugh America's Cup team at San Diego in '95. "We match-raced them for practice," she said.

Others who have been coming to Key West for a long time include Bruce Ayres, one of Riley's Melges 24 rivals from Newport Beach, Calif. Ayres said, "Team Monsoon has made the trip from California every year since 1994. The main reason is the great time I have with my teammates. Our favorite restaurants, to name a few, are Louie's Backyard, Blue Heaven and Marquisa's."

Bruce Gardner has been bringing his Beneteau FC 10M, L'Outrage, from Annapolis since '97. "The most important thing is the competition," Gardner said, "and it's also the best-run racing event in the nation. Every year just seems to be better."

John Chick of Chicago has been coming for so long---this is his 10th year---that his Mumm 30 is named for the address of a favorite watering hole: 1029 Truman. But he almost became a no-show this year when he got tangled up with a car trying to pass him on the shoulder 150 miles south of Chicago.

"My van was totaled but the boat was OK," said Chick, who has his priorities straight.

The helmsman is Mike Elam. Chick trims the main sail. He doesn't drive, he said, because "I've never driven a boat that I owned for the last 30 years. After about 10 minutes my mind wanders."

That happens easily at Key West, where the sub-tropical ambiance clashes with the action.

Dan Van Heeckeren, an eight-year veteran, has several reasons for hauling his Melges 24, Elektra, from Cleveland. One is obvious: "When in January the Cleveland temperature is 20 degrees, what could be better than sailing in the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, competing against the best sailors in the world?"

With three of his children on the crew, it's also a family affair. Van Heeckeren, 67, says, "We belong to the Walter Mitty part of the fleet, but they will have to pull the tiller from my cold dead hands before I give up going to Key West!"

Title Sponsor, Terra Nova Trading, L.L.C. (member NASD, SIPC & PCX), is recognized as an innovative leader in Electronic Direct Access Trading. The Chicago-based firm enables customers to electronically route orders to major markets and ECNs. Terra Nova Trading's technology partner, Townsend Analytics, Ltd., is the developer of the premier real-time trading platform, RealTick(r), which is also a Key West sponsor.

Nautica has upgraded its role to the Presenting Sponsor level. The winners of the multi-boat International Team Competition will receive the Nautica Trophy.

Mount Gay Rum, Lewmar, Samson Rope Technologies, Pearson Yachts, Raymarine and the Florida Keys and Key West Tourist Development Council round out the official line-up. The Historic Seaport is the Official Site for the event. The Performance Sailing Industry Partner Program, now in its third year, features 26 companies that have made a multi-year commitment to the event.

Terra Nova Trading Key West 2004
CONTACTS

PREMIERE RACING, Inc. 67B Front Street, Marblehead, MA, 01945
Tel: (781) 639-9545, Fax: (781) 639-9171
Event Email: KWInfo@Premiere-Racing.com
Event Web Site: www.Premiere-Racing.com
Terra Nova Online: www.TerraNovaOnline.com/sail

PRESS OFFICER
Rich Roberts
(310) 835-2526 (until Jan. 14)
cell phone (310) 766-6547 (Jan. 16-23)
richsail@earthlink.net

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