COLORCRAFT GOLD CUP

Hamilton, Bermuda.

25 October 2000

Press release.

BERTRAND PACE OF FRANCE WINS THE FIRST YEAR OF THE TOUR.

Former French America's Cup skipper Bertrand Pace has won the Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour 2000, and collects the US$50,000 first prize, without sailing the last event. Pace, who recently joined Team New Zealand for the 2003 defence of the America's Cup, could only have been beaten by his new boss, Dean Barker, had the Kiwi finished second or better in the final event, Bermuda's Colorcraft Gold Cup.

Dean Barker, skipper of Team New Zealand, was eliminated from the Colorcraft Gold Cup in the first round today, by another Kiwi sailing legend, Chris Dickson. Dickson, who has signed to skipper Larry Ellison's America's Cup challenge out of San Francisco, won the first two matches, before Barker pulled one back, but in the fourth encounter Dickson nailed the lid down on the rising young star.

Barker and Pace have battled it out throughout the seven previous events on the Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour, with the Frenchman winning the opening event in Auckland. Barker took over the points lead after winning the world championships and ACI Cup in Croatia, the third event on the Tour.

Pace regained the advantage when he won the fourth event, Germany's Volvo Match Racing on Lake Constance, and from then on it was a chase for the Kiwis to catch up. When Dean Barker scored a significant victory at the Swedish Match Cup in Marstrand, beating Bertrand in the final, he reduced the deficit to just one point.

However the turmoil back in Auckland over the defection of Russell Coutts and others to Switzerland, and then a whole bunch more to Seattle and other challenges, meant that Barker had to concentrate on keeping Team New Zealand together. When Bertrand Pace finished second at the seventh event on the Tour, the Danish Open, he stretched his lead to nineteen points, and set Barker up with a big mountain to climb in Bermuda.

The Frenchman had taken the decision not to sail in Bermuda, because of other sailing commitments, but with the line up that was gathering for the Colorcraft Gold Cup, it was always going to be difficult for Barker to make the grade. There were going to be no easy matches, no matter who Barker was drawn against, but facing Dickson in the first round was particularly hard, the veteran match racer having won this event twice before.

By way of compensation, Barker knows he now has the formidable talents of Bertrand Pace on his side for the 2003 defence of the America's Cup. It was while they were in Marstrand that the two first started discussing the possibility of the Frenchman sailing for New Zealand, but the deal wasn't signed until September.

This now means that first and second places on the first year of the Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour will go to Team New Zealand, which must send shivers down the spine of the challengers.

There are still some battles to be fought for the minor places, with Magnus Holmberg of Sweden in third place, just one point ahead of Australian Peter Gilmour, and both skippers still in the event. Peter Holmberg of the U.S. Virgin Islands is currently in seventh place, and has the chance to move up to sixth with a good result in Bermuda.

PRIZE MONEY BREAKDOWN FOR THE SWEDISH MATCH TOUR:

1. $50,000 2. $35,000 3. $20,000 4. $15,000 5. $11,000 6. $ 8,000 7. $ 6,000 8. $ 5,000

For further information contact:-

Keith Taylor or John Roberson Phone, +1 441 296 0409 e-mail, ktolyc@compuserve.com / robo_bandana@compuserve.com Or go to website: www.swedishmatchgp.com

Swedish Match Grand Prix AB is an international joint venture company with its head offices in Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish Match Grand Prix AB partners include Swedish Match, Octagon Marketing and the Match Race Association.

This is the second year that Colorcraft has sponsored the Gold Cup event. Colorcraft is an international print and publishing project manager, sourcing printing, color seperation and binding facilities for the world's leading publishers.

Presenting sponsors for the regatta are Tyco and Renaissance Reinsurance. The Bermuda Department of Tourism is official host sponsor.

COLORCRAFT GOLD CUP 2000 - Event eight on the Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour.

Hamilton, Bermuda.

24 October 2000

Press release.

THREE MORE KIWIS AND ANOTHER AUSTRALIAN QUALIFY.

New Zealanders Murray Jones, Kelvin Harrap and Chris Dickson, plus Australian James Spithill have qualified for the championship round of the Colorcraft Gold Cup in Bermuda. All four are America's Cup sailors, and their qualification completes the near domination of this qualifying round by antipodean skippers, with the two young Americans Andy Horton and Dalton Bergen the only interlopers.

Murray Jones is representing the Swiss challenge led by Russell Coutts, while Kelvin Harrap will be sailing for the Seattle based OneWorld Challenge in 2003. Chris Dickson will skipper Larry Ellison's San Francisco challenge, and James Spithill is as yet un-committed for the next Cup, but skippered the Australian challenge last time, becoming the youngest skipper in the history of the event.

By winning his group in the qualifying rounds, Murray Jones finds himself facing Dennis Conner in the first round of the Wimbledon-style knock-out series that follows. Jones commented, "I think he'll be good, he'll be fast and tough, these boats are pretty similar to Etchells, and he's good in those. The last time I sailed against him was in the '95 America's Cup," he added, "and we won that 5 - 0, so it'll be interesting."

Chris Dickson will meet the new Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker, while James Spithill faces Britain's Andy Green, the defending Colorcraft Gold Cup holder. Kelvin Harrap lines up against Peter Holmberg of the U.S. Virgin Islands, who was tactician on Dennis Conner's Stars & Stripes in the last America's Cup.

Conditions on Bermuda's Hamilton Harbour were testing again today, with vicious gusts ripping across the water, causing some wild rides, and ripping several sails.

The first round of the championship series, in which the unseeded qualifiers meet the seeded skippers, will start on Wednesday morning, with the event finals scheduled for Sunday.

RESULTS:

Scoreboard after day 3.

Qualifiers from Group 1. 1 Murray Jones (New Zealand) 2 James Spithill (Australia) 3 Kelvin Harrap (New Zealand) 4 Chris Dickson (New Zealand)

Group 1 scores. 1 Murray Jones (New Zealand) 6 wins 1 losses 2 James Spithill (Australia) 5 2 3 Kelvin Harrap (New Zealand) 5 2 4 Chris Dickson (New Zealand) 5 2 5 Adam Barboza (Bermuda) 3 4 6 Sten Mohr (Denmark) 3 4 7 Josh Adams (U.S.A.) 1 6 8. Inga Leask (Britain) 0 7

Pairings for first championship round:

Dean Barker (New Zealand) - Chris Dickson (New Zealand) Dennis Conner (U.S.A.) - Murray Jones (New Zealand) Andy Green (Britain) - James Spithill (Australia) Peter Holmberg (U.S. Virgin Islands) - Kelvin Harrap (New Zealand) Peter Gilmour (Australia) - Neville Wittey (Australia) Ed Baird (U.S.A.) - Dalton Bergan (U.S.A.) Russell Coutts (New Zealand) - Andy Horton (U.S.A.) Magnus Holmberg (Sweden) - Cameron Appleton (New Zealand)

For further information contact:-

Keith Taylor or John Roberson Phone, +1 441 296 0409 e-mail, ktolyc@compuserve.com / robo_bandana@compuserve.com Or go to website: www.swedishmatchgp.com

Swedish Match Grand Prix AB is an international joint venture company with its head offices in Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish Match Grand Prix AB partners include Swedish Match, Octagon Marketing and the Match Race Association.

This is the second year that Colorcraft has sponsored the Gold Cup event. Colorcraft is an international print and publishing project manager, sourcing printing, color seperation and binding facilities for the world's leading publishers.

Presenting sponsors for the regatta are Tyco and Renaissance Reinsurance. The Bermuda Department of Tourism is official host sponsor.

PRESS RELEASE October 24, 2000

COLORCRAFT GOLD CUP SKIPPERS ARE BULLISH ON FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR AMERICA'S CUP

HAMILTON, BERMUDA, October 24, 2000-Dennis Conner, the man who lost the America's Cup for the New York Yacht Club, is looking for some closure and now wants to win it back for the venerable old club. Conner told a crowded press conference at the Colorcraft Gold Cup in Bermuda today that he is close to completing an agreement with the New Yorkers to sail under their banner at the next challenge in New Zealand in 2003.

Conner is one of nine skippers who are competing in the Colorcraft Gold Cup championship round which starts tomorrow, who talked about their views, their hopes and plans for the next America's Cup. They were joined by Russell Belden, 26-year-old CEO of the fledgling Seattle Challenge, whose skipper Dalton Bergan is also racing in the championship round. In a relaxed, hour-long genial exchange they traded quips, revealed a few secrets and agreed that the next America's Cup regatta would lift the stature of the event to a new plateau.

In parallel with the growth of America's Cup competition, match racing in smaller boats has also advanced around the world and this year's Colorcraft Gold Cup is the eighth and final regatta on the Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour, launched in New Zealand at the beginning of this year.

Kiwi television sailing personality Peter Montgomery moderated the conference which also included American Ed Baird, who skippered the New York Yacht Club's ill-fated Young America challenger at the last Cup, and 26-year-old New Zealander Dean Barker who heads the Team New Zealand defense for the next Cup. Conner sat next to New Zealander Russell Coutts who successfully defended the Cup last time for his home country but now heads a challenging Swiss team. New Zealander Chris Dickson who heads the Oracle Racing challenge out of San Francisco, CA, sat next to Australian Peter Gilmour who is skipper for the One World Challenge from Seattle, WA. Briton Andy Green talked about his plans for a British challenge, but admitted he needed a major backer, and Magnus Holmberg from Sweden revealed that he had just signed up to skipper Sweden's Victory Challenge. Peter Holmberg, from the US Virgin Islands, sat at the opposite end of the table from Baird, and like Baird, acknowledged he had no concrete Cup plans.

Ed Baird was the first to prophesize a new era for the Cup. "We are seeing a continuous progress of the challengers as a group to move forward and put stronger and stronger campaigns together," he said. "That is going to make this next event extra special."

Dean Barker described the months following the departures of many Team New Zealand members for other countries as "a very interesting time." He added: "For us the biggest issue has been getting the funds in place to match a lot of these challengers in terms of salaries and things."

Conner agreed with Baird that the next Cup has the markings of a special event. "With the interest of these wealthy individuals (billionaire challengers) we are going back and repeating history, whether it is the Vanderbilts, the Morgans or the Liptons. The rest of the world will see this event now as regaining some of the luster it had 100 years ago."

Dickson and Gilmour joined Conner in acknowledging the strength of New Zealand's back-to-back Cup victories. "The totality of their achievement is really quite amazing when you sit down and actually spend a little time dissecting it," Gilmour said.

Green said he and British sailors had spent a great summer sailing that country's two IACC boats in Cowes. "There was a lot of positive feeling, but feeling unfortunately doesn't get you to the America's Cup," he noted wryly. "The British sailing team at the Olympics did an amazing job," he added. "They got three gold medals and two silvers. I'm hoping that will encourage a few people with some serious money to get involved."

Magnus Holmberg revealed that in the last few days he had signed to skipper the Swedish Challenge. "It has been more than 20 years since our Pelle Pettersen sailed with Sir James Hardy and Baron Bich and so it is about time for Sweden to get back," he said. Holmberg said Argentinian designer German Frers who helped start Italy's Prada Challenge last time would design the Swedish boats.

Questioned about what it was like after his departure to Switzerland to move from favorite son status to that of villain, Coutts shot back with a grin: "Your question sums it up pretty nicely!" Pressed for an answer he noted that a recent New Zealand poll showed 70 percent of the population supporting his move, or at least understood it.

Asked about Coutt's departure for foreign shores, Dean Barker went out of his way to recognize the achievements of his old boss and his teammates. "They won the Cup and defended it, and did it with a lot of grace," he said. "What it has done for me and a lot of the other guys is give us some pretty good opportunities. The only way we can say that we have taken those opportunities will be to win the Cup in 2003."

Queried if he would challenge next time from the New York Yacht Club, Conner revealed that he wanted to represent New York in Fremantle in 1987 and in Auckland last year. "I've had two unsuccessful bids, you might say, to represent the club," he said. "It would be a nice dream for me to win the Cup and bring it back to New York and the trophy room at the New York Yacht Club. It would be nice closure. While it might be a dream, I would relish the chance for it to be reality.

This is the second year that Colorcraft has sponsored the Gold Cup event. Colorcraft is an international print and publishing project manager, sourcing printing, color separation and binding facilities for the world's leading publishers. Presenting sponsors for the regatta are Tyco and Renaissance Reinsurance. The Bermuda Department of Tourism is official host sponsor.

Swedish Match Grand Prix AB is an international joint venture company with its head offices in Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish Match Grand Prix AB partners include Swedish Match, Octagon Marketing and the Match Race Association.

The Colorcraft Gold Cup is an Octagon-managed event. The website is: http://www.bermudagoldcup.com. The Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour website is http://www.swedishmatchgp.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Keith Taylor John Roberson Colorcraft Gold Cup Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour Tel: (441) 296-0409 Tel: (441) 296-0409 ktolyc@compuserve.com robo_bandana@compuserve.com

COLORCRAFT GOLD CUP 2000 - Event eight on the Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour.

Hamilton, Bermuda.

23 October 2000

Press release.

TWO AMERICANS, A KIWI AND AN AUSTRALIAN QUALIFY.

Americans Andy Horton and Dalton Bergen, Neville Wittey of Australia, and New Zealand's Cameron Appleton are the first four unseeded skippers to qualify for the Colorcraft Gold Cup in Bermuda. They survived a tough morning of competition, with strong and gusty winds providing as big a test as their opponents.

In the afternoon, winds of 25 knots gusting to over 30 knots, turned Hamilton Harbour into a cauldron, forcing sailing for the other group of unseeded skippers to be curtailed, and re-scheduled for Tuesday.

Both Andy Horton and Dalton Bergen came into this event as outsiders, but have forced out America's Cup skipper John Cutler, and Cup tactician Chris Larson, with rising young Danish star Jes Gram-Hansen also a casualty.

Australian Neville Wittey is a seasoned match racer, and is fresh from competing in the match racing series at the Sydney Olympic Games. Cameron Appleton is backup skipper to Team New Zealand's Dean Barker, leader of the America's Cup defence.

Appleton showed the strength under pressure that is expected of Team New Zealand skippers, going afloat today with only one point from four races already sailed, but chalking up three straight victories to qualify for the next round. "We made it hard on ourselves," he commented, "it has taken us a while to get used to these boats, but we knew we had a job to do today, and we succeeded."

The qualifying unseeded skippers move into a Wimbledon-style knock-out series, meeting the eight seeded skippers, starting on Wednesday. Andy Horton gets the doubtful privilege of facing Russell Coutts in the first round of the championship series. Second placed Bergan Dalton, who represents the Seattle Corinthian America's Cup Challenge, will sail Ed Baird.

Neville Wittey finds himself paired with fellow Australian Peter Gilmour. Team New Zealand's Cameron Appleton, is up against Sweden's Magnus Holmberg.

In the only two Goup 1 races sailed today,, New Zealand's Murray Jones beat Josh Adams of the U.S.A., while Chris Dickson defeated Denmark's Sten Mohr.

RESULTS:

Scoreboard after day 2.

Qualifiers from Group 2. 1 Andy Horton (U.S.A.) 2 Dalton Bergen (U.S.A.) 3 Neville Wittey (Australia) 4 Cameron Appleton (New Zealand)

Group 1. 1= Chris Dickson (New Zealand) 3 wins 1 losses 1= Murray Jones (New Zealand) 3 1 2= Sten Mohr (Denmark) 2 1 2= Kelvin Harrap (New Zealand) 2 1 2= James Spithill (Australia) 2 1 6= Josh Adams (U.S.A.) 1 2 6= Adam Barboza (Bermuda) 1 2 8. Inga Leask (Britain) 0 3

Group 2 scores. 1 Andy Horton (U.S.A.) 6 1 2 Dalton Bergen (U.S.A.) 5 2 3 Neville Wittey (Australia) 4 3 4 Cameron Appleton (New Zealand) 4 3 5 Jes Gram-Hansen (Denmark) 3 4 6 Chris Larson (U.S.A.) 2.5 4 7 John Cutler (New Zealand) 2 5 8 Glenn Astwood (Bermuda) 1 6

For further information contact:-

Keith Taylor or John Roberson Phone, +1 441 296 0409 e-mail, ktolyc@compuserve.com / robo_bandana@compuserve.com Or go to website: www.swedishmatchgp.com

Swedish Match Grand Prix AB is an international joint venture company with its head offices in Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish Match Grand Prix AB partners include Swedish Match, Octagon Marketing and the Match Race Association.

This is the second year that Colorcraft has sponsored the Gold Cup event. Colorcraft is an international print and publishing project manager, sourcing printing, color seperation and binding facilities for the world's leading publishers.

Presenting sponsors for the regatta are Tyco and Renaissance Reinsurance. The Bermuda Department of Tourism is official host sponsor.

PRESS RELEASE October 23, 2000

KIWI PAIR ARE COMPETITORS IN BERMUDA, BUT COLLABORATORS FOR THE NEXT AMERICA'S CUP

HAMILTON, BERMUDA, October 23, 2000-Transplanted New Zealanders Chris Dickson and John Cutler first sailed against each other when they were young teenagers at Auckland's Westlake Boys High School. Yesterday, as unseeded contestants in the Colorcraft Gold Cup, the final regatta on the Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour, they prepared again to face off under sail.

Over the intervening 23 years they have sailed against each other, and with each other, in wide variety of boats. Today, though, they are both on the same team. They live in San Francisco, where Dickson is the skipper of Larry Ellison's Oracle Racing Challenge and Cutler is the Sailing Team Manager.

As Oracle teammates they both arrived in Bermuda early, and they and their crews practiced together to master the delicate tuning and timing needed to get the most out of the International One-Design sailboats used for the regatta.

The practice paid off for Dickson, who with three more races to sail in the elimination series, has a 3-1 record and a good chance to make it through to the main competition. Cutler was less fortunate. He started today saddled with only one win and two losses from yesterday, then won only one more race today, finishing 2-5 and out of contention for further racing.

"It's very frustrating," said Cutler, shaking his head. "We had good boat speed and good starts but we managed to get on the wrong side of a lot of wind shifts." Strong northeasterly winds, gusting near gale force, forced a long delay in racing this afternoon, and Dickson's future in the Colorcraft Gold Cup will be decided in the morning. He is one of the favorites to make it through, having won the event twice before this, in 1987 and 1989.

Today, with racing on hold, the two Kiwis reminisced about their long sailing history. "We were students together at Westlake Boys High School," said Dickson. "We sailed in P Class dinghies, the classic training boat for New Zealand kids. At the first National Championships we all raced in, I was first, Russell Coutts (the last winner of the America's Cup) was second, and John was fourth."

After high school, their paths diverged for a few years. Cutler focussed on singlehanded dinghies, winning an Olympic bronze medal in Finn dinghies at Seoul, Korea, in 1988. A year earlier, Dickson had steered New Zealand's 12-meter contender for the America's Cup in Australia, losing to eventual Cup winner Dennis Conner in the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger finals.

Dickson recalled that the first time they sailed together - "the first time that John ever sailed with anyone other than himself!" - was at a match racing championship event in Fremantle, Western Australia. Cutler had never sailed a boat bigger than a singledhanded dinghy and remembered that occasion as his introduction to the topping lift, the line that supports the spinnaker pole on big boats.

"Simon Daubney told me to 'go for the topper' when we set the spinnaker," Cutler said with a grin. "I said, 'OK, I'm ready. What is it? Where is it? And what does it do?'"

Just over a year later Dickson was drafted to Japan to skipper that country's first entry in the America's Cup. One of the three Kiwis he took with him was Cutler, who became the Nippon Challenge's navigator. Three years after that, Dickson was skippering his own Tag Heuer challenger for the America's Cup, while Cutler was skippering the Japanese boat.

For the current campaign, Cutler was the first crew Dickson recruited. "To hire someone one day, and then give them the job of going out and hiring the rest of the crew on the next day, is a big responsibility," Dickson said. "It says a lot of what we think of John."

Cutler was equally complimentary: "Chris has got the most skill of anyone I've sailed with, or against," Cutler said. "I like his style, I like his skill; he drives the boat really well. It is going to be a good campaign."

This is the second year that Colorcraft has sponsored the Gold Cup event. Colorcraft is an international print and publishing project manager, sourcing printing, color separation and binding facilities for the world's leading publishers. Presenting sponsors for the regatta are Tyco and Renaissance Reinsurance. The Bermuda Department of Tourism is official host sponsor.

Swedish Match Grand Prix AB is an international joint venture company with its head offices in Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish Match Grand Prix AB partners include Swedish Match, Octagon Marketing and the Match Race Association.

The Colorcraft Gold Cup is an Octagon-managed event. The website is: http://www.bermudagoldcup.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Keith Taylor John Roberson Colorcraft Gold Cup Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour Tel: (441) 296-0409 Tel: (441) 296-0409 ktolyc@compuserve.com robo_bandana@compuserve.com

PRESS RELEASE October 22, 2000

NEWCOMER FROM SEATTLE SHINES ON OPENING DAY AT COLORCRAFT GOLD CUP

HAMILTON, BERMUDA, October 22, 2000-In a field liberally sprinkled with America's Cup talent, matchracing newcomer Dalton Bergan established his credentials with a 3-1 record on the opening day of competition in the Colorcraft Gold Cup

Bergan, 22, is the unknown and unheralded young skipper of the Spirit of Seattle America's Cup Challenge for 2003, launched by the Seattle Corinthian Yacht Club. He has an impressive youth and collegiate record but today was only the second time he and his young crew have competed in a match race series. They were third in the Prince of Wales event three weeks ago.

Facing off against America's Cup luminaries like New Zealand's John Cutler and Cameron Appleton, and America's Chris Larson, and beating them, Bergan compiled an almost perfect score, losing only to fellow American Andy Horton. Unseeded skippers race in two separate groups of eight, so Bergan and his crew were spared any confrontation with New Zealanders Chris Dickson and Murray Jones, and Australian James Spithill, each of whom have formidable America's Cup experience.

His more seasoned competitors didn't know it but Bergan and his team had done their homework before flying to Bermuda. The Colorcraft Gold is sailed in 33-foot International One Designs, low profile, slender and relatively heavy boats with generous sail area. Compared with the modern race boats used in other match racing events, they are slow to turn and slow to accelerate. They are unique, graceful products of a past age.

Accepted for the event just six weeks ago, the Seattle team needed to practice in IOD's or similar boats but none were available. They turned to the venerable Six-Metre Class, borrowing two of these classic turn-of the century designs to hone their skills over four days.

"We just pretended they were IOD's," said Bergan. "That was the best we could do in Seattle."

While other crews here were voluble about the stately pace of the IODs, Clay Bartell who crews for Bergan exclaimed: "After the Six-Metres, these boats are just like sports cars! The Six-Metres are 3,000 pounds heavier, with smaller rudders, longer bows and more complicated rigs."

Bergan was America's College Sailor of the year 1999-2000. He sailed for the University of Southern California, where he captained the sailing team in 1998 and 1999. Early in his career, Bergan distinguished himself by winning junior national sailing titles in five different classes. In keelboats, he has won the Sears Cup (US Junior Championships) in J-22s and the Mallory Cup (US Men's Keelboat Championships) in 26-foot Thunderbirds.

The second day of racing for unseeded entries will be sailed tomorrow. The top four skippers from the two groups will then go forward to meet the eight seeded skippers in the Colorcraft Gold Cup, the final event on this year's Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour.

This is the second year that Colorcraft has sponsored the Gold Cup event. Colorcraft is an international print and publishing project manager, sourcing printing, color separation and binding facilities for the world's leading publishers. Presenting sponsors for the regatta are Tyco and Renaissance Reinsurance. The Bermuda Department of Tourism is official host sponsor.

Swedish Match Grand Prix AB is an international joint venture company with its head offices in Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish Match Grand Prix AB partners include Swedish Match, Octagon Marketing and the Match Race Association.

The Colorcraft Gold Cup is an Octagon-managed event. The website is: http://www.bermudagoldcup.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Keith Taylor John Roberson Colorcraft Gold Cup Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour Tel: (441) 296-0409 Tel: (441) 296-0409 ktolyc@compuserve.com robo_bandana@compuserve.com

PRESS RELEASE October 22, 2000

NEWCOMER FROM SEATTLE SHINES ON OPENING DAY AT COLORCRAFT GOLD CUP

HAMILTON, BERMUDA, October 22, 2000-In a field liberally sprinkled with America's Cup talent, matchracing newcomer Dalton Bergan established his credentials with a 3-1 record on the opening day of competition in the Colorcraft Gold Cup

Bergan, 22, is the unknown and unheralded young skipper of the Spirit of Seattle America's Cup Challenge for 2003, launched by the Seattle Corinthian Yacht Club. He has an impressive youth and collegiate record but today was only the second time he and his young crew have competed in a match race series. They were third in the Prince of Wales event three weeks ago.

Facing off against America's Cup luminaries like New Zealand's John Cutler and Cameron Appleton, and America's Chris Larson, and beating them, Bergan compiled an almost perfect score, losing only to fellow American Andy Horton. Unseeded skippers race in two separate groups of eight, so Bergan and his crew were spared any confrontation with New Zealanders Chris Dickson and Murray Jones, and Australian James Spithill, each of whom have formidable America's Cup experience.

His more seasoned competitors didn't know it but Bergan and his team had done their homework before flying to Bermuda. The Colorcraft Gold is sailed in 33-foot International One Designs, low profile, slender and relatively heavy boats with generous sail area. Compared with the modern race boats used in other match racing events, they are slow to turn and slow to accelerate. They are unique, graceful products of a past age.

Accepted for the event just six weeks ago, the Seattle team needed to practice in IOD's or similar boats but none were available. They turned to the venerable Six-Metre Class, borrowing two of these classic turn-of the century designs to hone their skills over four days.

"We just pretended they were IOD's," said Bergan. "That was the best we could do in Seattle."

While other crews here were voluble about the stately pace of the IODs, Clay Bartell who crews for Bergan exclaimed: "After the Six-Metres, these boats are just like sports cars! The Six-Metres are 3,000 pounds heavier, with smaller rudders, longer bows and more complicated rigs."

Bergan was America's College Sailor of the year 1999-2000. He sailed for the University of Southern California, where he captained the sailing team in 1998 and 1999. Early in his career, Bergan distinguished himself by winning junior national sailing titles in five different classes. In keelboats, he has won the Sears Cup (US Junior Championships) in J-22s and the Mallory Cup (US Men's Keelboat Championships) in 26-foot Thunderbirds.

The second day of racing for unseeded entries will be sailed tomorrow. The top four skippers from the two groups will then go forward to meet the eight seeded skippers in the Colorcraft Gold Cup, the final event on this year's Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour.

This is the second year that Colorcraft has sponsored the Gold Cup event. Colorcraft is an international print and publishing project manager, sourcing printing, color separation and binding facilities for the world's leading publishers. Presenting sponsors for the regatta are Tyco and Renaissance Reinsurance. The Bermuda Department of Tourism is official host sponsor.

Swedish Match Grand Prix AB is an international joint venture company with its head offices in Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish Match Grand Prix AB partners include Swedish Match, Octagon Marketing and the Match Race Association.

The Colorcraft Gold Cup is an Octagon-managed event. The website is: http://www.bermudagoldcup.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Keith Taylor John Roberson Colorcraft Gold Cup Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour Tel: (441) 296-0409 Tel: (441) 296-0409 ktolyc@compuserve.com robo_bandana@compuserve.com

COLORCRAFT GOLD CUP 2000 - Event eight on the Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour.

Hamilton, Bermuda.

22 October 2000

Press release.

TIGHT COMPETITION ON THE FIRST DAY IN BERMUDA.

Two relatively unknown American skippers, Dalton Bergen and Andy Horton, share the lead with Denmark's rising star Jes Gram-Hansen at the end of the first day of the Colorcraft Gold Cup, on Bermuda's Hamilton Harbour. Bergen, Horton and Gram-Hansen have all scored three wins and one loss, in the elimination series for unseeded skippers, that decides who will go forward to meet the seeds later in the week.

Also looking strong at this stage of the series, though having sailed one less race, are New Zealanders Chris Dickson, Kelvin Harrap and Murray Jones, plus Australian James Spithill, and another Dane Sten Mohr, who have all won two races and lost one.

Dalton Bergen from Seattle, Washington, is sailing in only his second match racing event, and was until recently unfamiliar with large heavy keelboats. When he had his entry to the Colorcraft Gold Cup accepted, he borrowed a Six Metre to get some practice in boats that are similar to the International One Designs that are sailed in this event.

"This is our second match racing event ever," confessed Bergen, "and the first was the Prince of Wales Cup, three weeks ago." He went on to describe the I.O.D. boats as "like a sports car" compared with the Six Metres.

Andy Horton from Shelbourne, Vermont, has sailed in this event before, but was always eliminated early, while Jes Gram-Hansen has been a consistant performer on the Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour all year. Australia's Neville Wittey and Chris Larson from the U.S. are also still in contention with 2 - 2 scorelines after the first day.

The sixteen unseeded skippers are divided into two groups, which each sails a round robin to select the top four from each group, who progress to sail against the eight seeded skippers in a Wimbledon-style knock-out series.

With five skippers sharing a 2 - 1 scoreline in the other group, the competition will be tough when racing resumes on Hamilton Harbour on Monday morning.

The weather gave the skippers a gentle start to this week long series, with the wind an easy 8 to 10 knots from the north east, which tested their tactics rather than their strength.

RESULTS:

Scoreboard after day 1. Group 1. 1= Chris Dickson (New Zealand) 2 wins 1 losses 1= Sten Mohr (Denmark) 2 1 1= Kelvin Harrap (New Zealand) 2 1 1= Murray Jones (New Zealand) 2 1 1= James Spithill (Australia) 2 1 6= Josh Adams (U.S.A.) 1 2 6= Adam Barboza (Bermuda) 1 2 8. Inga Leask (Britain) 0 3

Group 2. 1= Dalton Bergen (U.S.A.) 3 1 1= Jes Gram Hansen (Denmark) 3 1 1= Andy Horton (U.S.A.) 3 1 4= Chris Larson (U.S.A.) 2 2 4= Neville Wittey (Australia) 2 2 6= Cameron Appleton (New Zealand) 1 3 6= Glenn Astwood (Bermuda) 1 3 6= John Cutler (New Zealand) 1 3

For further information contact:-

Keith Taylor or John Roberson Phone, +1 441 296 0409 e-mail, ktolyc@compuserve.com / robo_bandana@compuserve.com

Swedish Match Grand Prix AB is an international joint venture company with its head offices in Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish Match Grand Prix AB partners include Swedish Match, Octagon Marketing and the Match Race Association.

This is the second year that Colorcraft has sponsored the Gold Cup event. Colorcraft is an international print and publishing project manager, sourcing printing, color seperation and binding facilities for the world's leading publishers.

Presenting sponsors for the regatta are Tyco and Renaissance Reinsurance. The Bermuda Department of Tourism is official host sponsor.

October 22, 2000

THREE KIWIS, AN AUSTRALIAN AND A DANE SHARE THE LEAD.

HAMILTON, BERMUDA, October 22, 2000 - There were no surprises on the first morning for the Colorcraft Gold Cup, as America's Cup sailors dominated the early rounds of the competition.

New Zealanders Chris Dickson, Kelvin Harrap and Murray Jones, plus Australia's James Spithill and Sten Mohr of Denmark all share the same score of two wins and one loss.

Local Bermudian skipper Adam Barboza, and American Josh Adams have each put one point on the scoreboard, while British sailor Inga Leask has yet to trouble the scorer.

Chris Dickson suffered his only loss of the day at the hands of James Spithill, while Kelvin Harrap lost to Murray Jones, who in turn was beaten by Dickson, Sten Mohr's loss was to Kelvin Harrap, while James Spithill went down to Adam Barboza.

This group of eight unseeded skippers have sailed the first three rounds of their round robin elimination series, on an a warm Bermuda day, with 8 to 10 knots of north easterly breeze making for a gentle start to the event.

The three Kiwi skippers now all represent non-New Zealand America's Cup teams, with Dickson having signed with Larry Ellison's San Francisco based challenge. Murray Jones has followed Russell Coutts to the Swiss Challenge financed by Ernesto Berterelli, and Kelvin Harrap has joined the Seattle based OneWorld challenge led by Peter Gilmour.

The Colorcraft Gold Cup, which is the eighth and last event on the Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour, features sixteen unseeded skippers who sail an elimination round, before the best eight move on to sail against the eight seeded skippers in a Wimbledon-style knock-out tournament.

Swedish Match Grand Prix AB is an international joint venture company with its head offices in Stockholm, Sweden. Swedish Match Grand Prix AB partners include Swedish Match, Octagon Marketing and the Match Race Association.

This is the second year that Colorcraft has sponsored the Gold Cup event. Colorcraft is an international print and publishing project manager, sourcing printing, color seperation and binding facilities for the world's leading publishers.

Presenting sponsors for the regatta are Tyco and Renaissance Reinsurance. The Bermuda Department of Tourism is official host sponsor.

For further information contact:-

Keith Taylor or John Roberson Phone, +1 441 296 0409 e-mail, ktolyc@compuserve.com / robo_bandana@compuserve.com

Copyright © London Corinthian Sailing Club, 25 Oct 2000