Rest and Recuperation After 34 Days at Sea
Van Liew focuses on recovery after a harsh leg around Cape Horn

Salvador, Brazil (March 24, 2003) - Exhausted, dehydrated, and sun-scorched, Brad Van Liew swept across the finish line to a festive arrival in Salvador, Brazil after battling the violent conditions of Around Alone's toughest leg. His fourth victory in this epic race around the globe solidly counts him as America's top solo sailor and one of the best that the world has ever seen.

So, once the Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America race boat is safely in harbor, what does Brad Van Liew do after 34 days alone at sea?

He has been trying to sleep, but his nights have been interrupted with fits of unwelcome and unwarranted demands. Radar alarms, chores on deck, and sail changes haunt him as he makes the transition to a warm, homey, and comfortable bed.

"The sleep deprivation takes its toll on me physically and mentally," explained Van Liew. "My catnaps onboard of 25 minutes limit my REM sleep which is something the body can only take for so long. Being able to crash for hours once on land is a jolt to the body after so many weeks at sea living on the edge."

Van Liew was also eager for some fresh food. He was presented at the docks with a large platter of fresh fruit which was devoured quickly. Later in the day Van Liew gathered with other skippers, crew and friends to feast on a special Brazilian dish called Moqueca, a fish stew with coconut. The festivities surrounding Van Liew's finish roared into the wee hours of the morning, with the crowds dancing in the streets of Salvador to lively Brazilian tunes.

Van Liew's routine onshore quickly moved to inspecting the Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America race boat with his crew, attending press conferences and sharing his arrival with local and international media through one-on-one interviews.

Van Liew has now accumulated 40 points for winning each leg of the race in Class II. His nearest competitor, Tim Kent, has accumulated 35 points. This means that Van Liew is guaranteed a first place finish in the race, as long as he finishes the final leg to the USA.
"Anything can happen in this race," warned Van Liew. "During the last event I was dismasted during the final leg and barely made it back into the event. There are no guarantees in the Around Alone."

No doubt Van Liew will be pushing hard throughout the last leg to take line honors as he has done in each leg of the race. To track Van Liew's progress and to get daily updates from the Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America yacht, please visit www.tommy.com/freedomamerica. Brad will be feeding the site with diary entries and photos taken aboard the yacht. Graphic depictions and footage of Brad and his adventures at sea are available upon request.

About Tommy Hilfiger
Tommy Hilfiger Corporation, through its subsidiaries, designs, sources and markets men's and women's sportswear, jeanswear and childrenswear under the Tommy Hilfiger trademarks. Through a range of strategic licensing agreements, the Company also offers a broad array of related apparel, accessories, footwear, fragrance and home furnishings. The Company's products can be found in leading department and specialty stores throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Central and South America, Japan, Hong Kong and other countries in the Far East, as well as the Company's own network of outlet and specialty stores in the United States, Canada and Europe.