Italy's Bruni takes honours on day one of Laureus regatta

by Mark Bullingham on 23 May 2001 Release issued by Nautor's Swan Press Office, on behalf of Laureus.

Italy's Francesco Bruni, by virtue of an unbeaten
record in the round robin, was able to chose his opponent for the second day
from the other three skippers who qualified to reach the semi-final of the
Laureus Regatta on Monday.

After much musing, he decided to race 'JJ' Isler of the United States on the
grounds that she had lost to Britain's Chris Law in their first-day match.
He did not add, though, that he too had beaten Isler when they met.

Racing in the light and fickle winds on the eve of the 2001 Laureus World
Sports Awards was interesting and at times extremely close. None was closer
than the match between Law and Ben Ainslie of Great Britain in which the
lead changed hands three times and Law took a penalty turn on the final leg
when they were sailing the two eighty foot Swans. Ainslie, who began match
racing with Law as one of his crew some four years ago, narrowly took this
match.

Racing was in carefully matched pairs of boats - two Swan 46s, two Swan 59s,
two Swan 60s and the biggest pair, the Swan 80s. The boats were brought to
the regatta by their owners who must have had some heart-searching moments
as these top-class skippers threw themselves and their borrowed vessels into
the fray, passing within a foot or two of each other.

But they were carefully watched by pairs of international umpires who kept
the peace and penalised offenders - a penalty turn being the get-out.
Sometimes they turned a blind eye, or so some of the skippers believed.
Italy's Tommaso Chieffi, who won the inaugural event last year, may well
have the umpires to blame for his relatively poor showing of one win and
three losses.

Frenchman Thierry Peponnet was unlucky to miss the cut into the semi-finals,
having the same 2-2 score as Law and Isler but, under the International
Sailing Federation (ISAF) Rules of Match Racing, the tie-breaker is clear.
New Zealander Grant Dalton, who recently won the no-holds-barred race around
the world in the 110-foot catamaran Club Med, scored only one win, against
Law, in his match racing debut, as did Germany's Achim Griese.

Scores:
Francesco Bruni (ITA) 4 wins - 0 losses
Ben Ainslie (GBR) 3-1
'JJ' Isler (USA), Chris Law (GBR), and Thierry Peponnet (FRA) 2-2
Grant Dalton (NZL), Achim Griese (GER) and Tommaso Chieffi (ITA) 1-3

For further information, please contact:

NINA FIDDIAN-GREEN
LAUREUS WORLD SPORTS AWARDS

Tel: +377 9999 3486/7
Fax: +377 9999 3489
Website: www.laureus.com

For more information on Nautor's Swan, please contact
Mark Bullingham / Sue Grant
Tel: +44 1483 209818
Email: nautorgroup@craigietaylor.co.uk