ALPE ADRIA SAILING TOUR 2003
HOLMBERG CLOSES IN ON THE LEADER TODAY THE EIGHTH LEG FROM SIBENIK TO SPLIT

Split (Croatia), 15 May 2003

With it's fourth victory, the Croatian team "BMW Tomic" (skippered by the American Peter Holmberg) closes in on the over all leader "City of Split" on the leg from Sibenik to Split, a 38 mile route that began early this morning at 11 o'clock. The leader still dominates the over all results by 5'09", but "BMW Tomic" managed to close the gap. It was a regatta which put the sailors of the Alpe Adria Sailing Tour to the test, having had to race with wind speeds up to 30 knots per hour, but it reaffirmed the talent and the courage of all the sailors in the tour. Behind "BMW Tomic" is team "Barcolana" (skippered by Alessandro Bonifacio) who arrived only 3'47" after the leader crossed the finish line in Split. "Alcatel" steps up to third place with only a margin of 4'09" from Holmberg, and "City of Aquileia", in fourth place, with the skipper from Trieste, Marco Augelli, arrives 7'59".

Alessandro Bonifacio, just after stepping off the boat explains, "it was a really fun race, but it also tried us in both driving the boat and with the tactics. I'm really happy, however, because our team reacted well to the wind speed and proved to be really prepared even in intense weather conditions."

Interesting head to head match was at the end of the race, while the boat "Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia" tried to sweep through, passing team ?Sibenik? by just two seconds. The other Solaris 36 OD who arrived before "Region Friuli Venezia Giulia" are: in fifth place "Scor Team" with Hajdinjak at the helm, followed by "Clementei" driven by Alberto Rizzi, brother of the infamous Stefano Rizzi (The Race, Prada, Volvo Ocean Race). Seventh place for "City of Split", then "Magic Sailing Team" (Mitjia Kosmina will be arriving for the leg of Split-Makarska) and "Dubrovnik". The girls of "Val Nautika" closed up the race, hoping that a little of their bad luck will soon change.

In the over all results "City of Split" still in the lead but only by the 5'09" margin over "BMW Tomic" followed by "Barcolana" trailing by 1h2'32" from the leader.

Tomorrow in the gulf of Split is the "BMW Cup", short race which will not enter in the overall results of the Alpe Adria Sailing Tour.

After the eighth leg, Sebenico-Spalato:
1. BMW 4h18'58";
2. Barcolana 4h22'45";
3. Alcatel 4h23'07";
4. Città di Aquileia 4h26'55";
5. Scor Team 4h27'15";
6. Clementei 4h30'31";
7. Spalato 4h31'02";
8. Magic Sailing Team 4h34'41";
9. Dubrovnik 4h40'57";
10. FVG 4h57'40";
11. Sibenik 4h57'42";
12. Val Nautika 4h58'38"

Overall results after eight legs:
1. Spalato 68h02'48";
2. BMW 68h07'57";
3. Barcolana 69h05'20";
4. Scor 70h02'09";
5. Aqui'leia 70h29'02";
6. Clementei 70h38'46";
7. Magic Sailing Team 71h56'47";
8. Alcatel 72h36'00";
9. Val Nautika 74h45'32";
10. FVG 74h52'16";
11. Dubrovnik 78h02'26";
12. Sibenik 79h41'38"

Vittoria Trojer
Communications Manager Alpe Adria Sailing Tour www.alpeadriasailingtour.com vtrojer@tin.it
+39 335 709 703