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3 March 2003, 12:17 pm

World Champions Take Race One

Ian Percy and Steve Mitchellat Last Years Worlds

Bacardi Cup

Biscayne Bay

Reigning world champions Iain Percy and Steve Mitchell of Britain held off a late charge Sunday to win the opening race of the 76th annual Bacardi Cup Star-Class Regatta.

Percy and Mitchell held off the French team of Xavier Rohart and Yannick Adde by about two boat lengths on Biscayne Bay.

"We kept it steady through a couple of good, long runs and were able to hold on to our lead," said Percy, a 2000 Olympic gold medalist. "We're right where we hoped to be right now."

Defending champions Mark Reynolds and Magnus Liljedahl finished eighth. Reynolds has won the Bacardi Cup a record-tying seven times.

"This is a strong field," said Liljedahl, who has won the regatta four times. "We are happy to have finished in the top 10."

There are 104 teams from 20 countries in this year's regatta, which continues until Friday. Full results are not available at present but will be posted here as soon as they are.

Associated Press

World Sailing TV

Lithuania's Juozas Bernotas came out on top in the Men's RS:X whilst Russia's Stefania Elfutina was triumphant in the Women's RS:X. Both sailors claim the first Abu Dhabi ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots whilst Jock Calvert (AUS) and Joanna Sterling (AUS) picked up the Oceanic spots for the Emirati finale.

A tight group of five young Papua New Guinean (PNG) Laser sailors are stepping up their 2015 Pacific Games competition program using this week's ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne. PNG is one of 33 countries represented at the important Oceanic event, the largest Olympic sailing regatta in the southern hemisphere.