I thought someone else might post this, so I waited until now. The news is
that Larry Ellison just barely escaped death yesterday in a disasterous yacht
race off Australia. Six crewmembers of other ships were drowned or killed.
Ellison and crew did survive -- and actually won the race -- although many of
the other boats were put out of commission and had to have their crews rescued
by the Australian Coast Guard (and even the rescues were hairy).

Wirt Atmar

PS: The following story is copywrited, so don't tell the Associated Press that
I sent it to you all.

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With AM-Deadly Yacht Race, Bjt

HOBART, Australia (AP) -- U.S. billionaire Larry Ellison, in tears after
battling through the horror of the Sydney-to-Hobart yacht race, said he had
never experienced worse conditions at sea.

Ellison, the founder and chief executive of computer giant Oracle, won his
second Sydney-to-Hobart race but arrived in Hobart early Tuesday to a funereal
atmosphere.

Asked if he'd come back again, Ellison said, ``My first reaction is not if I
live to a thousand years. But who knows?''

``It was just awful, I've never experienced anything remotely like this,''
said Ellison, whose company is a key competitor of Bill Gates' Microsoft.
``It's been a very emotional experience to get here. This is not what this is
supposed to be about. A lot of us are upset.''

Ellison said it was an extraordinarily difficult as his yacht battled ``right
through the eye of a hurricane'' and his crew heard by radio of the deaths in
the battered fleet.

A rescue official said five sailors died and one other was still missing in
the worst tragedy to hit the race in its 54-year history.

Ellison's yacht, Sayonara, crossed the finish line to a subdued welcome by a
smaller-than-usual spectator fleet and dockside crowd. One member of the
23-man crew had a broken ankle, but otherwise they were safe.

A welcome celebration was postponed and the trophy presentation was delayed
until Saturday.

``That's as tough as it gets,'' said Sayonara's helmsman Chris Dickson.
``Being here first is nice but being here at all is a big thing and we're
thinking about those who are still out there, not thinking too much about how
we've done.''

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