Bromby, Siese of Bermuda Win 2003 Bacardi Cup; UK Team of Percy, Mitchell Take Second Place; Kostecki, Sperry of USA Take Third.

Sports Editors

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 7, 2003

Peter Bromby and Martin Siese of Bermuda won their second BACARDI CUP today after a second place finish in the sixth daily race of the Star Class regatta on Biscayne Bay. World Champions Percy and Mitchell finished in 28th place and take second place overall with 32 points.

Consistency was the key all week for Bromby and Siese, who finished with 24 points. "If you can stay in the top 10 in every race you have a good shot at winning the regatta, " said Bromby. "We didn't take too many chances today and tried to get off the starting line in good shape." Siese added, "Percy looked like he took a gamble today and it didn't pay off for him."

According to Percy, he headed for the wrong mark on the first turn. "Sometime routes open up and some times they don't, and today they didn't," he said, "but we'll drag it (the Bacardi Cup) away from the Americas sooner or later."

John Kostecki from the San Francisco Bay area and crew Austin Sperry from Miami crossed the finish line first in today's race and take third place overall with Andy Lovell of New Orleans and crew Eric Oetgen of Savannah taking fifth overall.

The Miami team of Augie Diaz and Mark Strube went into the final race in second place overall but had a really unlucky day today and finished in 43rd place and fifth overall. "It was a tough fleet," admitted Diaz.

"We got greedy and started fast but we didn't see the first marks until after we tacked. By then it was too late," explained Strube.

The start of today's race was delayed one hour due to shifting winds and two false starts. Four boats were black-flagged and the UK team of Jez Fanstone and Luke Chapman split their mast at the first mark. Out of a fleet of 112 boats only 88 finished in today's sixth race.

Two-time Olympic Gold medal winner and seven-time BACARDI Cup champion Mark Reynolds of San Diego did not succeed in defending his title and attempting to break his BACARDI Cup win tie with Ding Schoonmaker of Naples, FL. He finishes in seventh place overall and said earlier in the week: "If I don't do it this year, we'll come back next year to try again."

"This is my second Bacardi Cup and I think it's the best regatta in the world. They're not that many regattas that have the winning combination of warm weather, great committee work and lots of fun," said 2000 Olympic Silver medallist Ian Walker of Australia. Early favorites Walker and his crew Nick Williams finished eighth overall, and Paul Cayard, the 1988 World Champion and also a world and Olympic champion as crew, finished 11th overall.

2002 Star European Champion Fredrik Loof of Sweden finished 10th overall and Xavier Rohart of France finished 17th. Five-time Bacardi Cup champion Vince Brun of San Diego finished in 48th place overall.

Established in Havana, Cuba, in 1927 and held at the Coral Reef Yacht Club in Miami, FL since 1962, the Bacardi Cup is the only Cuban-born sporting event that survives today in the United States. It is fully-sponsored by Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.

               2003 BACARDI CUP DAY SIX RESULTS - Top 10
                        Skipper/Crew (Country)

1.  John Kostecki and Austin Sperry (USA - Miami)
2.  Peter Bromby and Martin Siese (Bermuda)
3.  Rick Merriman and Bill Bennett (USA - San Diego, CA)
4.  Terry Hutchinson and Andrew Scott (USA - Annapolis, MD)
5.  Ian Walker and Nick Williams (Australia)
6.  Andy Lovell and Eric Oetgen (USA - New Orleans, LA)
7.  Phillipe Presti and Jean-Phillipe Saliou (France)
8.  Paul Cayard and Phil Trinter (USA- Kentfield, CA)
9.  George Szabo and Christian Finnsgard (USA - San Diego, CA)
10. Doug Schoefield and Robert Schoefield (USA- Annapolis, MD)


                2003 BACARDI CUP OVERALL FINAL - Top 10
                        Skipper/Crew (Country)


1. Peter Bromby and Martin Siese (Bermuda)           6-(9)-4-9-3-2,24
2. Iain Percy and Steve Mitchell (UK)              1-4-23-3-1-(26),32
3. John Kostecki and Austin Sperry
   (USA - Miami, FL)                              8-12-(28)-15-7-1,43
4. Andy Lovell and Eric Oetgen
   (USA - New Orleans, LA)                         5-(19)-7-19-6-6,43
5. Augie Diaz and Mark Strube
   (USA - Miami, FL)                            10-(26)-2-4-4-(43),46
6. George Szabo and Christian Finnsgard
   (USA - San Diego, CA)                         5-(17)-3-17-17-10,51
7. Mark Reynolds and Magnus Liljedahl
   (USA - San Diego, CA)                        7-10-11-13-(27)-16,57
8. Ian Walker and Nick Williams (Australia)       (28) 5-5-22-24-5,61
9. Colin Beashel and David Giles (Australia)      (35)-24-6-6-8-20,64
10. Fredrik Loof and Andes Ekstrom (Sweden)      3-45-17-2-2-(DNF),69