PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS (November 16, 2002) -- Steve Phillips of Arnold, Md., has steered Le Renard to win the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, which concluded today at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, Bahamas. Over four days of competition in poster-perfect sailing conditions, Phillips turned in single-digit finishes in all but one of ten races, which proved the key to his success.

"It was our strategy to stay in the top ten in every race," said Phillips, "because the teams here are tremendous an it's very competitive. We took a 17th in the first race, but after that we sailed consistently and we stayed out of trouble."

Phillips, the current Farr 40 East Coast champion, credited his tactician Mark Reynolds, a three-time Olympic medallist from San Diego, with keeping everyone on track to victory. "I'd hate to play poker with the guy, he stays so cool," said Phillips. "He doesn't let us get in difficult situations."

Phillips finished with 61 points overall and a 22-point lead over second-place finisher Groovederci, skippered by the regatta's only woman skipper Deneen Demourkas of Montecito, Calif. Groovederci and would-be third-place finisher Crocodile Rock, skippered by Scott Harris of Santa Barbara, Calif., were over early in today's second race, and in their battle back to earn respectable positions encountered problems at a
congested mark. Both boats were protested by Italy's Nerone, with Crocodile Rock losing the battle in the jury room to fall from third to fifth. As a result, Samba Pa Ti, skippered by John Kilroy of Los Angeles,
Calif., moved up to third, with Nerone, skippered by Antonio Migliori (Rome) gaining a position as well and finishing fourth.

Place, Boat Name, Skipper, Hometown, Home Country, Finish Positions, Total Score

1. LE RENARD Steve Phillips, Arnold, Md., USA, 17-2-1-7-9-3-4-9-1-8, 61
2. GROOVEDERCI Deneen/John Demourkas, Montecito, Calif., USA, 8-19-16-2-3-13-2-1-7-12, 83
3. SAMBA PA TI John Kilroy, Los Angeles, Calif., USA, 12-5-7-8-12-6-7-16,-6-4, 83
4. NERONE Massimo Mezzaroma/Antonio Migliori, Rome, ITALY, 6-1-15-3-20-5-3-8-13-14, 88
5. CROCODILE ROCK Alexandra Geremia/Scott Harris, Santa Barbara, Calif., USA, 11-9-11-10-1-12-6-2-3-DSQ, 91
6. PEGASUS Philippe Kahn, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, 19-8-19-6-5-4-12-6-10-3, 92
7. BARKING MAD Jim Richardson, Boston, Mass./Newport, R.I. USA, 13-3-2-13-14-15-14-11-4-6, 95
8. DEFIANT Terry McLaughlin, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA, 1-4-DSQ-9-DSQ-7-19-3-8-1, 104
9. BAMBAKOU John Coumantaros, New York, N.Y., USA, 10-17-5-15-10-17-1-10-18-2, 105
10. JOSS Owen Kratz, League City, Texas, USA, 9-20-14-12-4-1-9-5-19-13, 106
11. BOTTADICULO Giovanni Arrivabene/Andrea Bocchini, Massarosa, ITALY, 2-10-6-4-DNF-19-17-4-2-17, 107
12. BREEZE, Vincenzo Onorato, Naples, ITALY, 5-11-22-1-19-16-13-15-11-5, 118
13. KATANGA Robin Patterson, London, ENGLAND, 22-22-3-11-6-10-15-19-9-7, 125
14. NORWEGIAN STEAM Eivind Astrup, Oslo, NORWAY, 3-22-18-14-11-11-11-13-5-23, 131
15. ASSEGAI Leonidas Christeanakis/Chris Hunt, London, ENGLAND, 7-16-21-5-7-20-5-18-23-16, 138
16.VIRAGO Stuart Townsend, Chicago, Ill., USA, 4-13-20-24-15-2-10-21-20-15, 144
17. EMOTIONAL HOOLIGAN Marcus Blackmore, Sydney, AUSTRALIA, 14-19-8-16-22-18-20-14-12-11, 154
18. KOKOMO Lang Walker, Potts Point, AUSTRALIA, 18-15-13-22-13-22-23-7-14-9, 156
19. GONE TOO FARR Dave Carrel, Belvedere, Calif., USA, 15-12-17-18-17-14-16-17-16-22, 164
20. SOLUTION John Thomson, Port Washington, N.Y., USA , 16-18-23-19-18-9-22-12-15-18, 170
21. HONOUR Alek Krstajic, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA, 24-24-10-20-16-21-8-24-17-10, 174
22. SLED Takashi Okura, Tokyo, JAPAN, 23-21-9-25-8-8-24-22-22-21, 183
23. MORNING GLORY Hasso Plattner, GERMANY/San Francisco, Calif., DSQ-6-4-17-2-DNC-DNC-DNC-DNC-DNC, 185
24. NITEMARE Tom Neill, Berkeley, Ill., USA, 21-7-12-23-21-23-21-23-21-19, 191
25. FLASH GORDON Helmut Jahn, Chicago, Ill., USA, 20-25-24-21-23-24-18-20-24-20, 219

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