MASSIMO BERNASCONI LEADS AFTER FIRST DAY AT SNIM

From Christel Durand of the French Class - The SNIM 2005, one of the biggest sailing events in France which celebrates is 40th anniversary this year, started today under ideal conditions. This year's event is another fantastic regatta for the Melges 24 class with 64 teams competing from 8 European nations - Switzerland, Germany, the UK, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Monaco and France.

Two races were run on this opening day and by the end of the day it was the Italian team of Massimo Bernasconi, on BANCA BSI, that takes the overall lead from Maxime Paul on Big Ship who is ahead of Flavio Favini on Franco Rossini's Blu Moon from Switzerland with the British Team Gill of Quentin Strauss in fourth.