Rush Takes Third in Corel 45 Atlantic Coast Championship
October 5, 1997

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands -- Designated skipper for the Virgin Islands America's Cup Challenge, Peter Holmberg and VIACC tactician, John Cutler, raced Tom Stark's Corel 45 Rush to a third place finish overall in the Atlantic Coast Championship that concluded this weekend on Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay.

Sal Giordano's Heatwave edged out Tom Hill's Puerto Rican entry Titan for first. "Heatwave sailed really well with Ken Read in his local waters doing a better job than the others at picking the first shift and getting ahead, which pays off big in a tight pack on a short course," said Holmberg. Mumm 36 World Champion tactician, John Kostecki, called strategy for Titan skipper Terry Hutchinson. Helmed by America's Cup veteran Gary Jobson, Nitemare finished fourth, and France's Faster K-Yote took fifth in the single-design Corel 45 fleet.

Forced to sail five races in 8-16 knot winds on Saturday, Holmberg reported, "The previous two days were really no measure of skills, as each race saw major shifts which reversed the order at some point before the finish." Rush is scheduled to compete this November in the Corel 45 World Championships in Ft. Lauderdale.