Preliminary Race Results (Unofficial): Largest Yacht Race Posts Back to Back Record-Breaking Years

ENSENADA, Mexico (April 27, 2003) -- How can you improve on last year's fastest race in history? Make it faster.

According to race organizers from the Newport Ocean Sailing Association, more than half of the 461 boats entered in the 2003 Tommy Bahama Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race have finished, with Roy Disney regaining the monohull course record on Pyewacket in 10 hours, 22 minutes and 44 seconds.

For the second year in a row, Afterburner, skippered by Bill Gibbs, won the first-to-finish honors on his 52-foot catamaran in more than nine hours...

By 6:00 a.m. this morning, more than 100 boats were having breakfast in Ensenada, with other boat continuing to finish throughout the morning. Unofficial results will be posted online at www.nosa.org with updates occurring frequently throughout the day. The official race results will be reported tomorrow afternoon, Sunday, April 27.

Ralph Rodheim from Rodheim Marketing, the marketing arm for NOSA sailed aboard RAGTIME yesterday. Ralph commented about the start that the winds were light, but built throughout the afternoon into the evening. The crew saw a meteor last night along with various sea life. They also said another yacht, AMANTE from Lido Island Yacht Club, hit a whale in Mexican waters and broke their rudder. The boat had yet to cross the finish line.