A "PERFECT DAY" FOR FIVE COMPETITORS AT 2003 Acura SORC

MIAMI BEACH, FL, March 1, 2003 - Five competitors posted perfect days, winning both races run just off Miami Beach today, to highlight action on Day 3 of the 2003 Acura SORC. With several class leaders enjoying the slimmest of margins, Sunday's final races are shaping up to be crucial to the outcome of the 62nd edition of this winter ocean racing classic.

In the Farr 40 class Hasso Plattner's Morning Glory of Novato, CA, had third and first place finishes to move to the top of the standings with 46 points. Just two points behind Plattner, CEO of SAP AG, is Massimo Mezzaroma's Nerone of Savon, Italy, who registered a fourth and a second place finish today. Meanwhile, two-time defending Acura SORC Farr 40 class champion John Kilroy's Samba Pa Ti, of Los Angeles, CA, nabbed a first and a third to move up to fifth place and stay in the mix.

In the Melges 24 class, three international entries are slugging it out in a hotly contested competition. After registering two first places, just one point separates current leader Peder Nergaard's, Baghdad Rejects, of Oslo, Norway, on ten points and Luca Santena's, Joe Fly, of Olgiate Comasco, Italy, who sits on eleven points. In third place, 12 points arrears of Santena's Joe Fly is Roger Peacock's, Black Seal, of Sorognl, England.

Similarly, just one point separates the top two yachts in the J/105 class. Jim Sorenson's Wet Leopard, of Sag Harbour, NY, had a consistent day, posting two third place finishes to remain at the forefront while Thomas Coates’, Masquerade, of San Francisco, CA, registered first and second place finishes to narrow the gap.

In the PHRF classes, Roger Sturgeon's Rosebud of Santa Cruz, CA, and Terrance Smith's Raincloud of Isle of Palms, SC, extended their unbeaten streaks to five races in PHRF 1 and PHRF 2, respectively. While in PHRF 3 local entry Triptease owned by S.A. Spencer took two second-place finishes to stay atop the standings.

Despite a two and one half hour delay, the race committee was able to run two races and stay on schedule. "It was flat this morning but the breeze built and we were able to get some races off," said Principal Race Officer (PRO) Peter "Luigi" Reggio. "It was a nice afternoon with eight-to-ten knots in the first race and 11-to-12 knots in the second race. It turned out to be a beautiful day to race sailboats."

One race will be run on Sunday in each class, with racing for all classes set to start at 10:00 a.m. The public is welcome to join the Acura SORC for the final prize giving ceremony at Monty's on Alton Road at 3:00 p.m.

Provisional results, Acura SORC, Day 3, March 1, (owner name, boat name, city, state, places, points):

Farr 40:
Hasso Plattner, Morning Glory, Novato, CA, 4-1-8-14-12-2-1-3-1, 46
Massimo Mezzaroma, Nerone, Savon, Italy, 6-3-10-9-1-5-8-4-2, 48
Robert Hughes, Heartbreaker, Ada, MI, 11-6-3-1-5-10-2-13-4, 55

IMS:
George David, Idler, Hartford, CT, 1-1-1-2-2-1-3-1-3, 15
Marco Birch, Talisman, New York, NY, 3-4-2-1-4-4-1-4-1, 24
Doug Croker, Canvasback, Easton, MD, 4-2-4-4-1-2-4-2-2, 25

J-105
Jim Sorenson, Wet Leopard, Sag Harbor, NY, 2-1-1-3-3, 10
Thomas Coates, Masquerade, San Francisco, CA, 1-2-5-1-2, 11
Donald Priestly, Wet Paint, Mashpee, MA, 3-5-3-4-1, 16

Melges 24
Peder Nergaard, Baghdad Rejects, Oslo, Norway, 3-2-2-1-1, 9
Luca Santena, Joe Fly, Olgiate Comasco, Italy, 2-1-1-4-2, 10
Roger Peacock, Black Seal, Sorognl, England, 10-4-3-3-3, 23

Mumm 30
Luigi Parente, Moby Maga Joanna, Naples, FL, 1-4-1-1-7, 14
David Koski, Go Figure, Highland Heights, OH, 3-2-8-2-1, 16
Bent Dietrich, Rainbow, Hamburg, Germany, 7-3-2-3-3, 18

Multihulls
Peter Fruedenberg, Condor, Harvey Cedars, NJ, 1-4-1-2-3, 11
David Bowman, Ultraviolet, Chelsea, MA, 4-2-3-4-2, 15
Don Mcgetrid, Team Raider, US, Miami, FL, 6-3-5-1-1, 16

PHRF 1:
Roger Sturgeon, Rosebud, Santa Cruz, CA, 1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1, 10
Charles Burnett, III, Bandolier, Seattle, WA, 2-2-2-1-3-3-2-5-3, 24

PHRF 2:
Terrance Smith, Raincloud, Isle of Palms, SC, 5-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1, 14
Geoff Stagg, Tazo, Annapolis, MD, 2-3-10-7-5-2-2-2-3, 36
James Bishop, Gold Digger, New York, NY, 8-5-2-1-2-6-8-4-4, 40.5

PHRF 3:
S.A. Spencer, Triptease, Miami, FL, 2-1-1-1-2-2, 13
Scott Taylor, Defiance, Long Beach, CA, 1-4-6-3-1-2-2-1-1, 21
Gordon Ettie, Sazerac, Miami, FL, 3-3-2-2-4-3-3-6-4, 30

Boats competing at the Acura SORC are racing three-day or four-day series. The Farr 40, IMS and PHRF classes are all racing from Thursday through Sunday. The Melges 24, Mumm 30, J/105 and Multihulls classes race Friday through Sunday.

Race management is provided by volunteers from the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, Coral Reef Yacht Club, Miami Yacht Club, Lauderdale Yacht Club and Nassau Yacht Club.