Peter Holmberg in the money

Holmbergs lead the Swedish Match Tour, but second placed Peter has earned more prize money

Sweden's Magnus Holmberg, skipper of the Victory Challenge and his StoraEnso match race crew currently top the Swedish Match Tour Year 3 Leaderboard, but it's native U.S. Virgin Islander Peter Holmberg of the Oracle Racing Team who is the envy of the Swedish Match Tour.
Peter Holmberg and his Oracle Racing teammates may be in second place after the first three events of the new season, but they lead the Swedish Match Tour money winners with US$28,400. After picking up their first place check of $20,000 at the Colorcraft Gold Cup in Bermuda in October, Oracle Racing's Holmberg saw his second place points margin on the Swedish Match Tour Leaderboard shrink to just seven points and his wallet fatten, considerably.

Magnus Holmberg (left) and his teammates are far from hard-luck leaders of the Swedish Match Tour, however. They have pocketed $23,050 to date and stand in second place in prize money after winning Swedish Match Tour Year 3's first two events, the Trofeo Challenge Roberto Trombini Match Race in Ravenna, Italy, in July, and August's Danish Open 2001.

In third place on the Swedish Match Tour Leaderboard, and in prize money, is Prada Challenge's Gavin Brady ($14,724). Morten Henriksen of the illbruck Challenge ($7,956) occupies fourth place and joins the two Holmbergs as the only skippers to finish "in the money" at all three Swedish Match Tour Year 3 events.

Only one hundred dollars separates fifth and sixth place skippers, Ed Baird of Team XL Capital ($7,000) and Jes Gram-Hansen of Team Marienlyst ($6,900), respectively. American Baird currently rounds out the Swedish Match Tour Leaderboard in eighth place while Gram-Hansen of Denmark is part of a four-way tie for fourth place with Henriksen, Victory Challenge's Jesper Bank and the skipper in seventh place in prize money earnings, Dean Barker of Team New Zealand ($6,000).

Native Australian James Spitill, part of the Seattle-based One World Challenge, can take some solace in the fact that while unranked on the Swedish Match Tour Leaderboard, he is eighth in prize money as a result of his $4,200 fourth place finish at the Trofeo Challenge Roberto Trombini Match Race.

With five events on Swedish Match Tour Year 3 and more than US$200,000 remaining in event prize money, as well as shares of the Swedish Match Tour's championship prize purse of US$200,000, there is plenty of exciting sailing ahead and money up for grabs.

Swedish Match Tour Year 3 Prize Money Leaders
1. Peter Holmberg, Oracle Racing,(2) $28,400
2. Magnus Holmberg, SWE/Team StoraEnso, (1) $23,050
3. Gavin Brady, Prada Challenge, (3) $14,724
4. Morten Henriksen, illbruck Challenge, (4) $7,956
5. Ed Baird, Team XL Capital, (8) $7,000
6. Jes Gram-Hansen, DEN/Team Marienlyst,, (4) $6,900
7. Dean Barker, Team New Zealand, (4) $6,000
8. James Spithill, OneWorld Challenge, (UR) $4,200