Lovell/Ogletree to Defend Little Americas Cup

Photo credit: Billy Black

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jan Harley, Media Pro Int'l, +1 401-849-0220
Bryan Dougherty, Sea Cliff Yacht Club, +1 516-908-7880

INTERNATIONAL CATAMARAN CHALLENGE TROPHY
DEFENDERS AND CHALLENGERS NAMED

NEWPORT, R.I. (September 30, 2003) ­ Plenty of breeze and plenty of action
were on tap for today’s final races to conclude the elimination series for
the International Catamaran Challenge Trophy (ICCT). The sight of F18HTs
flying along Narragansett Bay was in stark contrast to their ability to
seemingly stop and start on a dime. Even veteran race committee member Pam
Kirk (Portsmouth, R.I.) couldn’t get over the speed with which these
catamarans can accelerate. “I was counting down to the start and there were
no boats in my peripheral vision at four seconds,” said Kirk. “I kept
thinking ‘do they know we’re starting, do they know we’re starting,’ and
then bam, they flew past me from behind.” Events which feature match racing
using catamarans are a rarity, so while this 23rd running of "The Little
America’s Cup" is proving exciting to watch, it is also challenging the
participants ­ more familiar with fleet racing -- to think outside the box.
Off the water, the post-race debrief (critiques familiar to sailors who
regularly match or team race) have been informative, not to mention
entertaining and lively courtesy of the camaraderie among the competitors
who have enthusiastically embraced this novel event.

“Racing essentially begins at four minutes prior to the gun,” explained Mark
Murray (Newport, R.I./Pensacola, Fla.) “when, hopefully, you can cause your
opponent to make mistakes.” Murray, and crew Charles Barmonde (Newport,
R.I.), were tied through the first two days of the elimination series with
Chris Brown and WF Oliver (both Virginia Beach, Va.), representing
Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club. Murray and Barmonde pulled ahead to
finish the round robin 3-3 with Brown and Oliver 2-4, only to lose the
semi-finals to Brown and Oliver in two straight races. John Lovell (New
Orleans, La.) and crew Charlie Ogletree (Houston, Texas), representing
Southern Yacht Club, were undefeated in the round robin and received a bye
for the semi-final round. They continued their undefeated streak with two
wins over Brown and Oliver to be named the Defender. Two-time Olympians,
Lovell and Ogletree just returned to the U.S.A. from Spain where they
qualified the 2004 Olympic berth in the Tornado class. They will compete
for the right to represent the U.S.A. in Athens at the Olympic Trials in
February.

Alberto Sonino and Edward Canepa appeared to have the edge as they
maintained their series lead through the conclusion today of the Challenger’
s round robin, posting a 6-2 win-loss record over Daniele Saragoni and crew
Teo Di Battista at 4-4. Massimiliano “Max” Sirena and Paolo Bassani,
representing Vela Club Marano Riccione, went 2-6. Saragoni and Di Battista
then went 2-1 over Sirena and Bassani, to pit the two teams representing
Club Nautico Rimini against each other for the finals. Pulling off an
upset, Saragoni and Di Battista went 2-1 over Sonino and Canepa to become
the Challenger. Through an interpreter, the humble Saragoni observed that
because Sonino was a good sailor, his win was a good result. A residential
architect, the 39 year-old Saragoni, is the Italian and European champion in
the Javelin catamaran class.

Racing for the International Catamaran Challenge Trophy will continue after
tomorrow’s planned lay day. The Defender and Challenger will compete
head-to-head in a best four out of seven series for the Trophy on Thursday
and Friday, October 2-3.

For more information, visit www.icct2003.org or
www.littleamericascup2003.org