Crystal Cup Regatta, Paradise Island Overall

MAGNITUDE IS THE WINNER OF THE CRYSTAL CUP AT ATLANTIS

PARADISE ISLAND, The Bahamas - (December 10, 2000) - Doug Baker's Andrews 68 Magnitude from Long Beach, CA, is the winner of the inaugural Crystal Cup at Atlantis. Stuart Rogers-Brown, Vice President Strategic Alliances for Atlantis, presented the spectacular Waterford crystal trophy to Baker today together with Waterford crystal keeper trophies for Baker and all 12 crewmembers.

Rogers-Brown awarded the Crystal Cup, a 50-pound, two and half-foot high, perpetual trophy, at a prize ceremony in the race village at The Marina at Atlantis after Sunday's final race. Magnitude received the Cup for the outstanding performance of the week, highlighted by an unbroken string of first places. The trophy will remain on display at Atlantis.

The last ocean race of the series, a twice-around windward-leeward contest of 12 miles was sailed perfect weather conditions - bright sunshine and a 10 to 12 knot easterly. Magnitude was the corrected time winner in Class A.

"We would have liked more competition in our class, but at the end of the day we were competing rating-wise with the smaller boats as well, and it was very, very close," Baker said. "That is real competition, even if you're not duking it out with another boat in the same class. This event is fantastic. We wouldn't have this kind of racing at this time of year in California. Fantastic. You don't have to go far to the starting line, or to get back. Nice parties every night. You can't ask for more."

Jeff Salzman's Sparkman & Stephens 48 Harrier from Riverside, CT continued her winning ways in Class B. Harrier was a corrected time winner in every race but the first of the series, when she finished second to Marty Fisher's J/145 Strabo, from Annapolis, MD. After steadily improving each day, Larry Bulman's Farr 49 Javelin from Annapolis, MD took second overall in the class.

"Good breezes and good courses. We had a great time and enjoyed it thoroughly," Salzman said. "We had great competition to sail against in our class. Javelin is a very competitive boat. We've sailed against her before and she's very fast upwind and downwind."

In Class C, Donald Fritz' Tartan 10 Full Bore from Toledo, OH, chalked up a 30 second corrected time victory over Nicole Christie's J/120 Euro Trash Girl from Annapolis. The Ohio boat also came close to a perfect record, finishing second only once, to Euro Trash Girl, on the opening day of racing. Christie's boat was second overall.

"We sail the boat in the Great Lakes all summer long but Halloween, we bring it down south," Fritz said. "We make a 1,000-mile trip to Clearwater, FL and then we come down for one long weekend a month. This is the first time we've brought the boat to Nassau and enjoyed this beautiful venue."

Final Results:

PHRF CLASS A:
1 Magnitude, Doug Baker, Long Beach, CA (1-1-1-1-1-1), 4.50 pts;
2 Chessie Racing, George Collins, Annapolis, MD (2-2-DNC-DNC-2-2), 16;
3 NZL 10, IAC Challenge, Nassau, Bahamas (3-3-2-DNF-3-3), 18.

PHRF CLASS B:
1 Harrier, Jeff Salzman, Riverside, CT (2-1-1-1-1-1), 5.75;
2 Javelin, Larry Bulman, Annapolis, MD (3-3-2-2-2-2) 14.
3 Strabo, Marty Fisher, Annapolis, MD (1-2-3-3-4-3), 15.75;

PHRF CLASS C:
1 Full Bore, Donald Fritz, Toledo, OH (1-2-1-1-1-1), 5.75;
2 Euro Trash Girl, Nicole Christie, Annapolis, MD (2-1-2-2-3-2), 11.75;
3 Balamena II, Peter Christie, Nassau, Bahamas (3-3-3-3-2-3) 17.