img1949Atlantic City, NJ: In a city where good luck can translate
to real fortune, organizers of Atlantic Sail Expo (ASE) have decided to
add a new twist to their annual sailboat show held each January in Atlantic
City. This year's four-day show will feature a prize giveaway worth tens of
thousands of dollars. A handful of lucky showgoers will attend Sail Expo
and head home from the show with a boat, a sailing vacation, or a number of
other prizes. ASE 2004 takes place January 15-18 at the Atlantic City
Convention Center.

"The prize giveaway will add a lot of excitement to the show floor--and I
hope many attendees will come through the show gates to try their luck,"
said Scot West, Executive Director of show producer Sail America. "A number
of exhibitors really got behind this idea, and they came through with some
amazing prizes."

Among the prizes in the giveaway, the largest-ever at a Sail Expo show, are
sailboats produced by Hunter Marine and Hobie Cat, a Yanmar 18-horsepower
diesel engine, Caribbean sailing vacations with The Moorings and Sunsail,
learn-to-sail vacations and keelboat courses with Offshore Sailing School,
Baysail School and Charters and New Jersey Sailing School, and other prizes
such as a storm jib from North Sails, foul weather gear, magazine
subscriptions, nautical jewelry, and more. The largest prize in the
giveaway is the Hunter 216, a 21-foot sailboat worth nearly $14,000.

The awarding of prizes will be a daily happening at the show. A grand prize
and second and third prizes will be awarded each day during ASE. Attendees
will have to sign up for the giveaway drawing once they arrive at the show,
but they can enter their names at exhibitors' booths where individual
prizes are displayed or at the show entrance or the information booth.
Visit www.sailamerica.com/prizerules for more information on rules and a
complete list of prizes.

The 12th annual Atlantic Sail Expo will draw some 200 exhibitors and the
latest in boats and equipment. Sailboats on display will range from small
one-person dinghies to large cruising boats equipped for offshore voyaging.
Attractions and special events are geared toward all levels: from world
cruisers who have crossed oceans to those who have never stepped foot on a
sailboat before.

World-famous racers and voyagers who spend their lives afloat will head to
Atlantic City to share their stories, their passion for sailing, and their
expertise in a full slate of seminars that are free with the price of
admission. Sessions cover a wide range of topics: from how-to lessons and
sessions on sailing technique to entertaining tales of cruising adventure
and victory on the racecourse. Among the notable sailors giving seminars
are Lin and Larry Pardey, voyagers and well-respected authors who have
logged over 180,000 miles together over the past 30 years; solo
round-the-world racer Tim Kent, who survived a harrowing capsize at sea;
and Bernadette and Douglas Bernon, a couple who left their land lives to
pursue an endless-summer existence of exploring under sail.

Some 100 seminars will run throughout the four-day show. In addition to
these sessions is a special Saturday program designed to help newcomers
take their first step into sailing in the middle of January.

US Sailing-certified instructors from Offshore Sailing School will lead a
fun and intensive workshop called "Learn to Sail in a Day" on Saturday,
January 17. This special program, sponsored by Hunter Marine, costs $55 and
includes five hours of instruction, textbook and course materials, a
one-day pass to the show, and a tote bag. Run at past Sail Expo events,
this program has proven to be an invaluable way for new sailors to enter
the sport. Attendees must register in advance by calling 1-800-221-4326.

Atlantic Sail Expo 2004 opens Thursday, January 15 and runs until Sunday,
January 18. Show hours are 11 am to 5 pm on Thursday, 10 am to 7 pm on
Friday and Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm on Sunday. Showgoers can find more
information on ASE special events and exhibitors and purchase tickets in
advance at a 20-percent discount at www.sailamerica.com (or call
1-800-817-SAIL).