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AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND -- "We've seen how quick Abracadabra is in light air so we really worked hard to gain an edge on the starting line," said Stars & Stripes helmsman Ken Read.

Coming in from the left side didn't make the chore any easier for Team Dennis Conner. Nonetheless, Stars & Stripes won the pin and charged straight to the favored left side of the course. Abracadabra was forced off to the right, and when the two boats came back together, Team Dennis Conner had the lead. They used that advantage to protect the left side of the course, and gain a 45-second edge at the top mark.

Still, it was a close race for all six legs, with less than a minute separating the two boats at the first five marks. Team Dennis Conner had a winning margin of 1:35 at the finish line.

"It's great when you can work your plan -- and your plan works," Read added. "This may have been the best race we've sailed together as a team."

Tomorrow, Stars & Stripes meets AmericaOne with the Spanish Challenge scheduled for Monday.

For additional information:
Tom Leweck, Team Dennis Conner
TEL:  029 992-013
FAX: 64 9 9799 701
Team Dennis Conner website: http://www.stars-stripes.com/