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 BEA - Board of Directors' recommendation on offer from World Nordic


The Board of Directors of Bergesen recommend to the shareholders to
accept the offer from World Nordic Aps to buy all shares of Bergesen.
The offer is based on a price of NOK 180 per A-share and NOK 155 per
B-share, adjusted for the dividend that will be paid to those who are
registered as shareholders as of 24 April 2003. The dividend will be
paid on 14 May 2003.

The Board of Directors' recommendation in extensio is enclosed to
this press release.

The offer document from World Nordic will be sent to all shareholders
this week. The offer period expires on 23 May 2003.


Oslo, 24 April 2003


                          BERGESEN D.Y. ASA


Contact person: Svein Erik Amundsen, Managing Director,
Telephone: + 47 22 12 05 13

Other information about Bergesen is available at:  www.bergesen.no



     Statement from the Board of Directors of Bergesen d.y. ASA

On 7 April 2003 World Nordic ApS, a Danish limited company controlled
by the Sohmen family, announced a mandatory cash offer for the A- and
B-shares of Bergesen d.y. ASA ("Bergesen"). On 6 April 2003, World
Nordic ApS entered into an agreement with Petter C. G. Sundt and
Morten Sig. Bergesen to acquire their shares in Bergesen, in
aggregate 16,575,106 A-shares. The price was NOK 180 per share, and
included the proposed dividend of NOK 7 per share. After the
transactions, World Nordic ApS owns 51.50 % of the voting shares and
44.31 % of the share capital of Bergesen.

Pursuant to the Securities Trading Act Section 4-16, the Board of
Directors of Bergesen shall make a statement regarding the offer.
Since a new Board will be elected at the company's ordinary general
meeting on 24 April 2003, the present Board has decided to provide
this statement now. For the purpose of its statement, the Board has
received the offer document for the mandatory offer, which has been
approved by the Oslo Stock Exchange.

The board members Morten Sig. Bergesen and Petter C. G. Sundt have
declared an interest, and have not participated in the discussion of
the mandatory offer.

The Board has been assisted by Orkla Enskilda Securities ASA in its
assessment of the mandatory offer.

The offer price for each A-share is NOK 180, reduced by any dividend
declared for the accounting year 2002. The offer price for each
B-share is NOK 155, reduced by any dividend declared for the
accounting year 2002. The proposed dividend for 2002 is NOK 7 per
share. It is the opinion of the Board that the offer is fair from a
financial point of view. In its assessment of the offer, the Board
has considered, among other things, the company's underlying asset
values and forecasted future cash flows. The Board has also taken
into account that the liquidity in the Bergesen shares is expected to
be low after completion of the offer.
Further, it cannot be expected that today's dividend policy will be
continued.

The Board notes that the price for the B-shares represents a premium
of 28.8 % compared to the closing price for the share 4 April 2003,
while the offer price for the A-shares represent a premium of 28.6 %
compared to the closing price on the same day. Based on the offer
price inclusive of dividends, the price differential is also
comparable to the historic trading price differential for the A and B
shares for the past 12 months. The offer document from World Nordic
ApS has been approved by the Oslo Stock Exchange, which has thereby
also approved the calculation of the offer price for the B-shares.
However, shareholders should be aware that if there will be a
subsequent compulsory acquisition of shares from shareholders who do
not accept this offer, the courts who will determine the price in
such compulsory acquisition will not necessarily base their
determination on such a price differential.

The Board has taken note of the statement from the offeror that it
intends to retain the company's management and its operational
headquarters in Oslo. The company's employees have been informed of
the offer. The employees have not made any objections to the offer.

On the basis of the above, the Board of Bergesen has found reason to
recommend the shareholders to accept the mandatory offer.

The board members Lars A. Christensen, Johan Fr. Odfjell and
Christian Ringnes, and the managing director Svein Erik Amundsen,
hold shares in the company, directly or through companies controlled
by them. It is their intention to accept the mandatory offer with
respect to these shares.

                         Oslo, 24 April 2003
                   The Board of Bergesen d.y. ASA

Lars A. Christensen Johan Fr. Odfjell Christian Ringnes



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