** MEDIA ALERT **
OLYMPIC YACHTING TEAM TRIALS

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (October 18, 1999) -- At 3:30 p.m. EST it was announced that there would be no racing today for the 49er class competing in the Olympic Yachting Trials in St. Petersburg, Fla.

"With a patchy 8 knots of wind there is not enough breeze to sustain a competitive 49er race," said Olympic Sailing Committee Chairman Robert H. Hobbs (Glastonbury, Conn.). He added that regatta organizers on both coasts are still attempting to get a race started for the 470 Men and Women (also sailing in St. Petersburg), and Mistral Men and Women (racing in Indian Harbor, Fla.).

The schedule for all classes remains unchanged with Wednesday, October 20, designated as a mandatory lay day. Racing resumes October 21 and concludes October 24 with the naming of the first eight members of the 2000 Olympic Team - Yachting.

Results, competitor bios and venue information are available online at: www.ussailing.org/Olympics/OlympicTrials.

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