10th July Press Release

START OF THE ROBERTO TROMBINI MATCH RACES AT MARINA DI RAVENNA

IN THE FRONT LINE, THE DANES, GAVIN BRADY (LUNA ROSSA) AND ED BAIRD (USA)

RACES IN DIRECT, INFORMATION AND PHOTOS ON THE OFFICIAL WEB SITE: WWW.MATCHRACETROMBINI.COM

Marina di Ravenna 10 July 2002 - The eighth edition of the Roberto trombini Challenge Trophy has started,
known as the best Match race event of the season in Italy. As scheduled the first two Round Robins have started and the final selection tomorrow will qualify 8 skippers who will go on to the quarter finals. Conditions ideal , 8-15 knots breeze allowed a perfect conditions for the 8 flights, there will be a total of 40 highly spectacular matches.

The classification at the end of the first day of the Trombini Trophy has highlighted some great champions and shown also some surprises. The champion James Spithill (OneWorld Seattle) and the great Danish experts Jesper Radich and Jes Gram-Hansen, also surprises from Jablonski (Poland) and Ed baird (America). Difficult start for Gavin Brady the New Zealand skipper who races for Prada Challenge and is part of the Luna Rossa team, Torben Grael, Lars Borgstrom and Max Sirena complete the crew. Italian Matteo Simoncelli (who won a match against Gavin Brady), is fighting to get to the quarter finals. The Round Robins will finish tomorrow.

PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION 1ST ROUND ROBIN

(Skipper) (won-lost)

1.. James Spithill (USA) 7-0
2. Jes Gram-Hansen (DK) 6-0
3. Jesper Radich (DK) 5-2
4. Ed Baird (USA) 4-2
5. Karol Jablonski (P) 3-3
6. Lars Nordbjerg (dk) 3-3
7. Bjorn Hansen (S) 3-3
8. Gavin Brady (I) 3-4
9. Mikael Lindqvist (S) 3-4
10. Matteo Simoncelli (I) 1-5
11. Chris Law (GB) 1-5
12. Martin Angsell (S) 0-6

ROBERTO TROMBINI CHALLENGE TROPHY
Organized, by Progetto Vela, it is the first grade one ISAF event in Italy and has become one of the most important events on the International calendar, the Italian leg of the Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour which combines 8 top world events including Auckland (NZL), Newport (USA), Bermuda, Long Beach (USA) and Marstrand (S). The Races take place in the inner harbour of Marina di Ravenna. The organizers provide a grandstand for the public to watch the races. The event is sponsored by 36 companies (a record number which could lead to being included in the Guiness book of records. This year, for the first time, Sanpellegrino are the offical suppliers of the Trombini Trophy, they have provided a mobile 'office' fitted with apparatus for skippers and the press.

PROGRAMME FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS

This year the Trombini Challenge Trophy will be the first offical test of the new elimination system which will be used from next October for the Louis Vuitton Cup to choose the official challenger in the America's Cup 2003 in New Zealand. The race programme starts with Round Robins (Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th July ) the best 8 will go on to the quarter finals and the remaining 4 will be eliminated. The quarter finals on Friday 12th July, like in the Louis Vuitton Cup will be divided into two sections on the basis of the Round Robin classification. which will decide the first 4, even the loser has the chance of repechage against the winners of the second group. The best 4 from the quarter finals will go on to the semi-finals (Saturday 13th July), again divided in two parts. The finals for the 1° 2° 3° and 4° places will be on Sunday 14th July followed by a fleet regatta to close the programme.

SPONSOR
Sernavimar; Gruppo Setramar; SERS srl; RAFAL; MAIE Spa; Vianello Assicurazioni; Viscontea Coface; Mario Boccaccini; Bravo Tankers; ITWAY; Nadep srl; PAL; Siderurgica Ravennate; Compagnia Portuale Ravenna; Autorità Portuale di Ravenna; Cooperativa Trasporti S.Arcangelo; Naviravenna srl; Pagnoni Impianti Monza Italia; Ford Emiliana Motor; Banca Popolare di Ravenna; CARISBO; San Paolo IMI; San Paolo Leasint; Cassa di Risparmio di Ravenna Spa; Associazione Industriali della Provincia di Ravenna. Un ringraziamento particolare va alla Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio Ravenna
Fornitori Tecnici: San Pellegrino Sailing; Birra Peroni Nastro Azzurro; IBM Global Service; Salumi Negrini; ESSE Caffè; CICLAT Trasporti; Pro loco Marina di Ravenna; Lions Club Ravenna Bisanzio

SKIPPERS
GAVIN BRADY (I) afterguard for Prada Challenge, n. 6 in the world.
JAMES SPITHILL (USA) Australian champion presently with OneWorld Challenge n. 13 in the world.
ED BAIRD (USA) already helsman of Young America, N. 5 in the world ranking list.
CHRIS LAW (GB) 4 times Olympian and past winner of the Trombini Trophy, a specialized anchorman.
JESPER RADICH (DK) number 3 in the world of the speciality class.
JES GRAM-HANSEN (DK) number 4 in the world.
BJORN HANSEN (SWE), on of the surprises of the season, nr. 8 in the world.
KAROL JABLONSKI (PL), n. 12 in the world, leader of the up and coming Polish challenge in the America's Cup.
MIKAEL LINDQVIST, (SWE), the emerging match racer of the year, from 23rd to 11th place in 12 months.
LARS NORDBJERG (DK), yet another Danish expert of this speciality, nr. 22 in the world.
MATTEO SIMONCELLI (IT), one of the most assiduous Italians in the match race circuit, presently n. 33.
MARTIN ANGSELL (SWE), number 27 in world classification, growing talent.