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Auckland, NZ -- With just four days remaining until Santa Claus arrives  in New Zealand, the Stars & Stripes sailing team is training hard and staying focused on being one of the two teams to advance after the Semi-Final Round of the Louis Vuitton Cup, which begins on January 2, 2000.  The two teams with the most points after the Semi-Finals advance to the Final Round beginning on January 20, 2000.

Starting tomorrow (December 22,) Stars & Stripes will get four days off to spend with family and friends, but will start the 5:00am training days again on December 26.  We are thankful to have a few days off to relax and rest our muscles, but I think mentally we are all looking forward to getting back out there and staying in the groove for the Semi-Final Round, said Director of Operations Bill Trenkle.  We will make some minor modifications to the boat while its out of the water and plan to start sailing again on the 26th or 27th of December.

After the boat goes back in the water, Stars & Stripes has no formal agenda to sail with other challengers but will certainly consider any request that is proposed.  We are willing to train with any of the other challenger teams one-boat or two-boat it doesn't matter to us.  Either way, its better than sailing against our tender, said Trenkle.  Stars & Stripes was among the top six out of eleven teams that advanced to the Semi-Final Round and is one of three syndicates that have a one-boat program.

I'm especially proud of our crew and how far we've come since we first started sailing together in early September.  I know we can go all the way.


For more information contact:

Veronica Cahill
Media Relations
Team Dennis Conner
Compound: 64-9-9799-700
Mobile: 029-99-2013

53 Halsey Street
Viaduct Harbour
Auckland, New Zealand