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Title Sponsor
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For
Immediate Release
Acura Miami Race Week 2005 Preview
-- SORC Renaissance Ready to Deliver
MIAMI, Fla - February 14, 2005 - The line up is impressive.
Excitement is building. Great racing is assured. Big boats and sporty one
designs - Floridians, Canadians, and Californians - Swan 45s, Transpac 52s
and Etchells. They'll all be in South Beach next month when Acura
Miami Race Week 2005 kicks off.
Entries have already topped 130 - more than doubling last year's 59-boat
SORC fleet. Following a short hiatus, the returning Mumm 30,
Melges 24 and Etchells classes will deliver top-tier one design
racing to Miami.
There will be no shortage of world-class talent in South Beach with names
such as Butterworth, Melges, Fogh, Larson, Cutler, Dodson, Stead, Bertrand,
Haines, and many more spread throughout the Ocean and Biscayne Bay fleets.
January's Key West competition was fierce and Miami is going to see some
great rematches. Key West 2004 Boat of the Week winner Peter DeRidder (Mean
Machine - Monaco), multiple class winner George Andreadis (Atalanti
- Greece) and Wolfgang Schaefer (Struntje Light - Germany) were all
at the top of the Key West 2005 Farr 40 fleet. They'll be gunning for gold
off South Beach and the new Florida Grand Prix Award presented to the
combined winner of Premiere Racing's Key West and Miami regattas. The Melges
24, Transpac 52, J/105 and Mumm 30 classes will also crown combined regatta
champions.
Transpac 52s are all the buzz lately and when Michael Brennan heard
Premiere Racing was taking over management of the annual winter regatta held
off Miami, he didn't hesitate to register his TP52 Sjambok. "That was
a very important aspect of my decision-making because I know Premiere
organizes great regattas," said Brennan, an Annapolis resident. "I think
Premiere brings immediate credibility to the event. Sailors want good
racing, and Peter Craig and his people provide it."
Craig Speck's Swan 45 (VIM - Newport, RI) will challenge
William Douglass (Goombay Smash - also Newport, RI) and Massimo
Ferragamo (Bellicosa - New York, NY). They finished 2,3 and 4 at Key
West in their 2004 debut. "Miami has the potential to become a big-time
event just like Key West", said Speck.
J/105s set a Key West record with 40 boats on the line - and in Miami
next month their numbers will be impressive with as many as 20 of these
popular boats doubling their 2004 turnout. Look for Key West 2005 champion
Tom Coates (Masquerade - San Francisco, CA) and Key West 2004
champions Richard Bergmann and Shawn Bennett (Zuni Bear - San Diego,
CA) to continue their good-natured rivalry. Include boats from Canada,
Bermuda and at least 10 different US states and you've got an exciting
J/Boat competition brewing.
Racing on the Ocean venue will feature 4 one design classes (Transpac
52, Farr 40, J/105 and Mumm 30), and as many as 4 PHRF handicap
classes on two separate divisions run by Principal Race Officers Ken Legler
and Tom Duggan.
Handicap racing on the ocean courses is for boats with handicaps of 100 or
less. The big boat in the fleet is Dan Meyers' CM60 Numbers with
Alinghi's Brad Butterworth showing the way. Key West 2005's PHRF Boat of
the Week returns with a new owner and new name (Melges 32 Dawn Raid -
Oscar Strugstad). The Key West J/120 class winner George Petrides (Avra)
will mix it up with Othmar von Blumencorn's Beneteau 40.7 Dame Blanche
(2nd in PHRF 4).
Back by popular demand is racing on Biscayne Bay with 4 classes -
Melges 24, Etchells, J/24 and a small-boat PHRF class (100-140
handicappers). Over 25 Melges 24 teams from the UK, Germany and all points
of the US compass will race under the watchful eye of PRO Dave Brennan and
his crackerjack Miami-based team. Nearly 30 Etchells will pick up where they
left off during the recently completed Jaguar series. Local racers and world
travelers will have the Etchells and other Biscayne Bay classes hopping.
Racing for this 60+ boat fleet starts on Friday, March 11.
Race dates for Acura Miami Race Week 2005 are March 10-13. Acura is the
Title Sponsor. This is the fifth consecutive year that Acura, the luxury
division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. has been the title sponsor for
the Miami Beach based regatta.
The event, founded over 60 years ago, was previously known as the SORC. The
founding yacht clubs discontinued their management of the event and reached
an agreement with Key West event organizer Premiere Racing to produce a new
event that will continue the tradition of great racing in this popular South
Florida venue. Premiere Racing is committed to producing an event that will
restore the luster and loyalty that was the hallmark of this storied
regatta.
Peter Craig's organization is best known for its management of the highly
regarded Key West Race Week, now in its 18th year. "Boat owners,
sponsors, and the sailing industry have come to expect top quality at our
events," said Craig. "We intend to apply all that we have learned and
experienced to make Acura Miami Race Week an equally outstanding event."
The Miami Beach Marina is the Official Site, hosting the two ocean
courses, while the new Shake-A-Leg sailing facility in Coconut Grove
will be the host site for racing on the bay. The Avalon and South Seas
Hotels are the Official Hotels. Supporting sponsor Mount Gay Rum is
the Official Rum.
The entry list, entry information, marina and other important logistical
information are available on the event web site:
www.Premiere-Racing.com or
www.AcuraMiamiRaceWeek.com.
For more information on Premiere Racing and Acura Miami Race Week 2005:
Premiere Racing, Inc. 67B Front Street, Marblehead, MA, 01945
Tel: (781) 639-9545 Fax: (781) 639-9171
Emailto:MiamiInfo@Premiere-Racing.com
Web Site: http://www.premiere-racing.com
or http://www.acuramiamiraceweek.com
Twenty Nine Industry Partners also bring critical support to Premiere Racing
events. For more information on these important players,
please visit the web site.
With the support of the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council,
the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs
Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.
About Acura
Acura offers a full line of luxury performance vehicles through a
nationwide network of more than 260 dealers. The Acura lineup features six
distinctive models including the exotic NSX supercar, the RL
luxury sedan, the TL performance luxury sedan, the TSX sports
sedan, the race-bred RSX sports coupe and the award-winning
MDX luxury sport utility vehicle. For more information about Acura
vehicles, please visit
www.acura.com. For media inquiries, please go to
www.acuranews.com.
For Immediate Release
Acura to continue as Title Sponsor of Miami Race Week
Event to Take Place March 10-13, 2005
MIAMI, Fla December 13, 2004 - Premiere Racing is pleased to announce
that Acura will be Title Sponsor of Miami Race Week 2005. This is the fifth
consecutive year that Acura, the luxury division of American Honda Motor
Co., Inc. has been the title sponsor. The event was previously known as SORC.
"Acura's enthusiasm and loyalty to the sport of sailboat racing are
exceptional," said Event Director Peter Craig. "The ongoing partnership with
Acura allows us to consistently raise the standard of excellence and make
this regatta a fixture on the international sailing calendar. "
"This event is a perfect fit for us," said Richard Colliver, executive vice
president, auto sales of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "The participants
are interested in high performance, quality and luxury, which is exactly
what Acura provides. We are committed to help make this new Premiere Racing
partnership an excellent experience for everyone."
Race dates for Acura Miami Race Week 2005 are March 10-13. There will be
two racing venues: Biscayne Bay for Melges 24, Etchells and two additional
classes, and ocean racing off Miami Beach for larger one design and handicap
classes. The Miami Beach Marina is the Official Site, hosting the two ocean
courses, while the new Shake-A-Leg sailing facility in Coconut Grove will be
the host site for racing on the bay. The Avalon and South Seas Hotels are
the Official Hotels.
One design interest is strong and handicap racing will be a major
component of the 2005 regatta. Renewed PHRF and IRC interest from past
participants and Key West 2005 entrants bodes well for a larger fleet next
March.
Premiere Racing is best known for its management of the highly regarded
Key West Race Week, now in its 18th year. "Boat owners, sponsors, and the
sailing industry have come to expect top quality at our events," said Craig.
"We intend to apply all that we have learned and experienced to make Acura
Miami Race Week an equally outstanding event."
The Notice and Conditions of Race, entry form, marina and other
important logistical information are available on the event web site:
AcuraMiamiRaceWeek.com.
Founded in 1941, SORC enjoyed a rich history and created sailing legends
over the years. The founding yacht clubs recently discontinued their
management of the SORC event and reached an agreement with Key West event
organizer Premiere Racing to produce a new event that will continue the
tradition of great racing in this popular South Florida venue.
About Acura
Acura offers a full line of luxury performance vehicles through a nationwide
network of more than 260 dealers. The Acura lineup features six distinctive
models including the exotic NSX supercar, the RL luxury sedan, the TL
performance luxury sedan, the TSX sports sedan, the race-bred RSX sports
coupe and the award-winning MDX luxury sport utility vehicle. For more
information about Acura vehicles, please visit
www.acura.com. For
media inquiries, please go to
www.acuranews.com.
For more information on Premiere Racing and Acura Miami Race Week 2005:
Premiere Racing, Inc.
67B Front
Street, Marblehead, MA, 01945
Tel: (781) 639-9545 Fax: (781) 639-9171
Email: MiamiInfo
Web Site:
www.premiere-racing.com
Twenty Nine Industry Partners also bring critical support to Premiere Racing
events. For more information on these important players,
please visit the web site.
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