YOUNG AMERICA TEAM TAKE SECOND
AT TROFEO CHALLENGE IN ITALY

SOUTH PORTLAND, ME, June 30, 1997- Ed Baird and his New York Yacht Club/Young America crew finished second overall at the Trofeo Challenge Roberto Trombini Match Race in Ravenna, Italy, Saturday. Peter Holmberg won the World Match Racing Circuit event with a 3-0 victory in the finals over Baird.

The NYYC/Young America sailing team includes skipper Baird, the top-ranked U.S. match racer; Tony Rey, tactician; Geordie Shaver, foredeck; and Jon Gundersen, trimmer. The NYYC/Young America team faced Holmberg, skipper of the U.S. Virgin Islands America's Cup Challenge, in the finals on Saturday in a breeze of 8-14 knots.

"We won the starts, but Peter was fast and sailed well to get around us in each race," Baird said. "My congratulations to him and his crew. Our team also did a fantastic job with all that was thrown at them, and we feel much more prepared for the Worlds this week." Baird and the NYYC/Young America team are competing in the Swedish Match World Championship of Match Race Sailing in Marstrand, Sweden, July 1-6.

In the first race of the Trofeo Challenge finals, the NYYC/Young America team won the start, and went for the right side which they believed to be favored, forcing Holmberg to tack left. "We got a shift and tacked to attack Holmberg,
but the left was better and they crossed us by a length and slowly stretchedto a seven-length lead at the finish," Baird said.

In the second race of the finals, the Young America team won the start to the left, forcing Holmberg to the right. "We stayed ahead through most of the beat, but lost some ground protecting the left where the puffs seemed stronger," Baird said. "Near the first mark, we were slam dunked by Holmberg. The umpire green flagged our protest when we luffed, leaving Holmberg ahead. We stayed within two lengths, but were unable to pass."

In race three, the Young America team led at the top mark by a length. Down the run, Holmberg attacked hard, receiving two penalties. The Young America team maintained a two boat-length lead after Holmberg's first penalty turn. The next run brought another furious jibing duel. "When the dust cleared, we found ourselves pinned against the layline where Holmberg used his leeward position to do his second penalty turn and block us from the mark," Baird said. "We felt he had not completed his penalty turn properly under the new rules but the umpires disagreed and we trailed the rest of the way."

The Grade One World Match Racing event field was seeded in the following order: Bertrand Pace (FRA), Baird, Chris Law (GBR), Holmberg, Luc Pillot (FRA), Gavin Brady (NZL), Mario Celon (ITA), Per Petterson (SWE), Nicola Celon (ITA), Murray Jones (NZL), Matteo Simoncelli (ITA), and Paolo Cian (ITA).

Baird and the NYYC/Young America team completed the round robin with an 8-3 record, advancing to the semi-finals where they defeated the top-seeded Pace 3-0, earning a berth in the finals. Holmberg completed the round robin with a 9-2 record and defeated France's Pillot in the semi-finals to advance to the finals. Pillot defeated fellow Frenchman Pace in the petit finals to finish third overall. The Trofeo Challenge, sailed in J/24s, is the second Circuit event of the eight World Match Racing events on the NYYC/Young America schedule for 1997.