Bodacious Dream # 118 Winner of Leg 1 from Charleston to New York (Photo courtesy of the Atlantic Cup)
#118 Bodacious Dream wins First Leg, Charleston, SC to New York Harbor,
of The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing
Fleet to dock in NY Harbor until Pro-Am on May 17, followed by
Final Leg to Newport, RI on May 18 and In-shore Series, May 25-26
NEW YORK, NY. – With a fleet of seven Class 40s competing in The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing #121 Bodacious Dream, skippered by Dave Rearick and Matt Scharl, crossed the finish line first at 21:06:15 ET on Tuesday, May 15, with an elapsed time of 78:55:13 to complete the 642 nautical mile first off-shore leg of the Atlantic Cup from Charleston, S.C. to New York Harbor. The race, the first carbon neutral sailing event in the United States, saw USA’s Bodacious Dream finish 8 minutes 28 seconds ahead of #121 Lecoq Cuisine (79:09:43), followed by the English team of #90 40 Degrees (79:56:12).
Lecoq Cusine finishes in NYC (Photo courtesy of the Atlantic Cup)
The race began at 2:05 p.m. on Saturday, May 11th from the Charleston Maritime Center with international competitors from the USA, France, Great Britain and New Zealand competing extremely closely for the three-day, first leg. The teams left Charleston harbor with #116 Icarus jumping out in front of the fleet for the second year in a row with the best start.
3rd Place finishers Harding and Jenner on 40 Degrees celebrate (Photo courtesy the Atlantic Cup)
While tightly packed together, the fleet experienced severe the weather the first night that included heavy lightning and thunderheads with sustained winds of 25kts and a confused sea state. After rounding Cape Hatteras the fleet was mostly in agreement to heads towards shore as the forecast called for a wind hole and the land breeze would keep them moving. The critical point in the race came at the timing of the gybe in towards shore and those that picked right established a small lead and the challenge was to defend the rest of the way. The leading four teams traded positions in the run up to New York where ultimately first through fourth were separated by a mere 1 hour and 26 minutes.
“The race was pretty intense and as we all thought ahead of time it was a very tactical type thing, we had a lot of intense tactics. Matt had some great calls and some great time spent playing out different scenarios,” said Bodacious Dream skipper Dave Rearick.
“We worked really well as a team, I was not feeling very well for the first 24 hours and Dave really carried the load initially and I feel really good right now so we were able to trade off as a team and it worked out really well, it’s probably the best team race we’ve had since we’ve started, “said Bodacious Dream co-skipper Matt Scharl.
PROVISIONAL RESULTS FROM THE FIRST LEG OF THE 2012 ATLANTIC CUP: TIME POINT FINISH
#118 Bodacious Dream – USA (Dave Rearick, Matt Scharl) 79:01:15 14 1
#121 Lecoq Cuisine – USA (Eric Lecoq, Conrad Colman) 79:09:43 12 2
#90 40 Degrees – GBR (Hannah Jenner, Peter Harding) 79:56:12 10 3
#116 Icarus Racing – USA (Tim Fetsch, Ben Poucher) 80:27:36 8 4
#106 Gryphon Solo 2 – USA (Joe Harris, Tristan Mougline) 81:02:29 6 5
#54 Dragon – USA (Michael Hennessy, Merf Owen) 81:06:57 4 6
#39 Pleiad Racing – USA (Ed Cesare, Chad Corning) 83:08:00 2 7
SCORING SYSTEM
Points & Prize Money
Scoring for the 2013 Atlantic Cup will be based upon a “High Point” scoring system. Each boat’s overall score will equal the total points earned in both offshore legs plus points earned from the inshore races. At the conclusion of the event, the boat with the total highest score will be declared the winner.
To determine the podium winners, the “High Point” scoring system combines all three legs of the race into the boat’s overall score. The points for individual race scores are based upon the number of entrants (unless disqualified or retiring after finishing). The points for each leg are allotted as follows; 1st place will be awarded points equal to the number of entrants, 2nd place points equal the number of entrants minus 1, 3rd place points equal the number of entrants minus 2, 4th place points equal the number of entrants minus 3, and so on.
For two the offshore legs, points awarded will be weighted by a factor of 2. For each inshore series, points will be weighted by a factor of one. The inshore series will consist of a maximum of five races, should four or less inshore races be completed; all races will count toward the boat’s overall score. If five inshore series are completed, a boats overall score will consist of the four best inshore races. In the event of a score tie between two or more boats, the tie will be broken in favor of the boat with the most points earned amongst the two offshore legs.
The competitors have a chance to win prize money in all portions of the race. The $15,000 purse will be split between the three legs with $5,000 available per leg. The prize money for each leg will be divided as follows: 1stwill receive $2,000, 2nd, $1,500, 3rd, $1,000 and 4th place receives $500.
Some additional 2013 Atlantic Cup highlights include:
Viewing Opportunities for fans to see LIVE Sailing Competition in Each City:
With host cities chosen specifically to enhance the fans onsite viewing experience, the Atlantic Cup will offer opportunities for the general public to watch the race LIVE on-shore in New York (Saturday, May 18 at 2 p.m.) and the event’s inshore racing conclusion in Newport (Saturday/Sunday, May 25/26 at 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.).
Atlantic Cup “Living on the Edge” Eco-Evening on Thursday, May 16:
On Thursday, May 16, a special Atlantic Cup “Living on the Edge” Eco-Evening will be held from 6 – 9 p.m. in NYC, highlighting the event’s commitment to the environment. The event brings together a spectrum of well-respected voices to explore the sailing industry’s commitment to the environment and recognize the changing climate effects on New York City, into a provocative panel discussion entitled “Telltales.” Global Green USA’s President Matt Petersen will moderate the conversation. Sailors for the Sea’s founder David Rockefeller, Jr. will provide opening remarks. Panelists include Dr. Ben Strauss, CEO of Climate Central, Hannah Jenner, skipper of 40 Degrees Racing, and Chip Giller, President and Founder of Grist.org. Tickets are $115/ticket, or a “boatload” for $100/person for ten tickets. Tickets are available for purchase. For additional information, please call 401-619-4840.
Pro-Am Event in New York Harbor on Friday, May 17:
Many of the best Class 40 sailors in the world will add new crew members as sailing hopefuls get to experience the rush of sailing firsthand as they compete against each other in New York Harbor on Friday, May 17. The Fleet will be at the Marina from 9 a.m. – Noon, before departing for the Pro-Am race. The Boomer Esiason Foundation is the official charity of the Atlantic Cup, with a portion of the proceeds from the event going to help fight the battle against cystic fibrosis.
Special Screening with newportFILM of The Last Ocean on Thursday, May 23
On Thursday, May 23, newportFILM in association with the Atlantic Cup will present a screening of The Last Ocean, an environmental documentary from New Zealand filmmaker Peter Young at the Casino Theater in Newport. Do you know where the Ross Sea is? Six years in the making and completed late last year, the documentary celebrates the Ross Sea, Antarctica, regarded as the most pristine eco-system on Earth. It also chronicles the race to protect it before it is destroyed by commercial fishing. A breathtaking look at one of the last untouched places on the planet, this film is not to be missed. Double Cross Vodka cocktail reception from 6-7, with the movie starting at 7pm. Tickets can be purchased online at www.newportfilm.com
Education program in conjunction with the Rozalia Project
The Atlantic Cup is extending its education outreach by partnering with the Rozalia Project. Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean’s mission is to find and remove marine debris, from the surface to the sea floor, through action, technology, outreach and research. During the Atlantic Cup, Rozalia will be on site underwater trash-hunting with the ROV and educating children in grades 3 – 12 about marine debris, which will include the opportunity for students to get on board the Class 40s and meet some of the skippers. Rozalia Project is unique and action based taking trash out of the water, rather than just pointing at it, and operating nationwide from docks and shorelines. They connect people of all ages to their underwater world and inspire them to be part of the solution by using underwater robots (ROVs) and sonar as well as nets to locate and remove marine debris.
About The 2013 Atlantic Cup
The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing is a dedicated professional Class 40 race held annually in the U.S. with a focus on running an environmentally responsible event. The 2012 edition of the Atlantic Cup starts Saturday, May 11th in Charleston, South Carolina and will showcase some of the top Class 40 sailors in the world as they race a 648 nautical mile off-shore leg double-handed from Charleston around the infamous, Cape Hatteras then north to New York City. Once in New York there will be a brief stopover before competitors start the coastal leg of the race. The coastal leg will take competitors along the same course as the past two years: 231 nautical miles, south out of New York to a turning mark off the New Jersey coast before heading north to Newport. Once in Newport, competitors will race a two-day, inshore series with a crew of six. The combined overall winner of both stages will be the Atlantic Cup Champion. The prize purse will be $15,000, making it again one of the largest purses for sailing in the United States. For more on the Atlantic Cup and its Green Initiatives, visit www.atlanticcup.org.
Dragon Headed for finish with the New York skyline backdrop (Photo courtesy of the Atlantic Cup)
Ship on the horizon by Phesheya Racing
The leading Class40 in the Global Ocean Race (GOR) is approaching the final finish line of the 30,000-mile circumnavigation in Leg 5 from Charleston, USA, to Les Sables d’Olonne, France, and the two skippers, Conrad Colman and Scott Cavanough, are flat lining east through the Bay of Biscay in following wind with just 137 miles remaining for Cessna Citation on Tuesday afternoon and an ETA at the finish line of mid-afternoon on Wednesday for the GOR’s overall winner.
Meanwhile, in second place, the Italian-Slovak duo of Marco Nannini and Sergio Frattaruolo with Class40 Financial Crisis are piling towards the Bay of Biscay trailing Colman and Cavanough by 328 miles at 15:00 GMT on Tuesday with a 464-mile lead over the South African duo of Phillippa Hutton-Squire and Nick Leggatt in third with Phesheya-Racing and the Dutch team of Nico and Frans Budel in fourth with Sec. Hayai, 179 miles behind Leggatt and Hutton-Squire, are furthest south, 130 miles due north of the Azores.
For Cessna Citation and Financial Crisis, the final miles of the nine-month circumnavigation should be plain sailing, although the busy shipping lanes and increase in commercial fishing traffic always pose an obstacle and the south-westerly wind may build, particularly for Financial Crisis on Tuesday night. Overall, for Colman and Cavanough, the following breeze will sustain until the finish line while Nannini and Frattaruolo should escape the strongest of the southerly breeze that is forecast to arrive west of Biscay on Wednesday, but both Phesheya-Racing and Sec. Hayai are heading for harder conditions as they approach Europe.
On Phesheya-Racing, Nick Leggatt explains the scenario for the South African team’s final 790 miles: “There’s a complex system of three depressions, including the remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl, all merging somewhere about 700 miles east of Newfoundland and then tracking towards the east, towards us again!” says Leggatt, looking over his shoulder at the systems building to the north-west. “The latest forecast issued by Meteo-France would indicate winds of anything from 17-40 knots and with even stronger gusts,” he confirms.
The downloaded weather forecast was soon confirmed by an unusual source: “A contact appeared on our trusty Garmin radar screen and a short while later the AIS revealed it to be a cargo ship called the Friendship V,” says Leggatt. The 172-metre long ship was soon in sight: “She was clearly pitching and rolling with sheets of water spraying across her decks as she laboured her way southwards at just 9.5 knots,” he continues.
Leggatt and Hutton-Squire hailed the ship via VHF and discovered she was en route from Finland to Mexico, but both South Africans considered she was far south of the usual course for this route. “Upon further enquiry, her captain revealed that he had altered course towards the south as he is concerned about the approaching gale and wants to be well clear of its path!” adds Leggatt. “So it’s good to know that it is not just us that worry about the weather…”
GOR leaderboard at 15:00 GMT 5/6/12:
1. Cessna Citation DTF 137 9.2kts
2. Financial Crisis DTL 328 10.6kts
3. Phesheya-Racing DTL 792 7.7kts
4. Sec. Hayai DTL 971 9.8kts
Mare, Winner of the 2012 Atlantic Cup (Photo by George Bekris)
#115 Mare wins The 2012 Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing
Mare dominates a record setting fleet of 15 competitors, including #118 Bodacious Dream (2nd place) and #106 Gryphon Solo 2 (3rd place) to claim the second annual Atlantic Cup Championship and $15,000 in prize money
NEWPORT, R.I. – #115 Mare (GER), skippered by Jörg Riechers, Ryan Breymaier (offshore) and Charles Euvrete (inshore), continued its Atlantic Cup dominance by winning three of the five inshore races, finishing second in the other two heats, en route to claiming The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing over a record setting international fleet of 15 Class40 yachts. Mare was equally impressive during the offshore competition, besting the field during the first offshore leg (Charleston, S.C. to N.Y. Harbor), and coming in second behind overall Atlantic Cup runner-up #118 Bodacious Dream (USA), skippered by Dave Rearick and Matt Scharl. Mare finished with 11 total combined points for the offshore legs and inshore races in Narragansett Bay, Bodacious Dream finished with 27 total points. With the victory Mare claims the champion’s share, $15,000, of the $30,000 overall prize purse, one of the largest in sailing in the United States.
Bodacious Dream took Second Place in the Atlantic Cup (Photo by George Bekris)
Only three points separated the remaining top-five finishers with Gryphon Solo 2 (USA), skippered by Joe Harris and Tristan Mougline (39 points) in third, winning a tiebreaker with Campagne De France (FRA), skippered by Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron, (39), in fourth, and Initiatives (USA), skippered by Emma Creighton and Rob Windsor, (42), finishing fifth.
Mare co-skipper Jörg Riechers: “I’m very happy winning, it was a great event, we thought it would be a close battle between us and Talan Bureau Veritas but as it turned out Bodacious Dream was our stiffest competition and they raced a terrific race.”
Bodacious Dream co-skipper Dave Rearick: “This has been a terrific event, we couldn’t be happier in our first race. We will take some of this prize money and donate back to the Atlantic Cup so we can support this great event and keep racing!”
Gryphon Solo 2 co-skipper Joe Harris: “The fact that we made third, I was thrilled, we were clinging by our fingernails and we managed to pull it out which is fantastic!”
Hugh Piggin, Manuka Sports Event Management Founder and Atlantic Cup Race Director – “The Atlantic Cup congratulates Mare on their well-earned victory over a record-setting international field of 15 Class 40 boats. We are very proud of the top-notch sailing, ecological efforts and sportsmanship exhibited by all of the teams and appreciate the contributions from our sponsors, volunteers and staff in making the event a success on all fronts.”
The 2012 Atlantic Cup, the first carbon-neutral sailing event in the United States, featured an international fleet of 15 boats from the USA, France, Germany and Great Britain, the most Class 40s to ever compete in the United States. The teams set sail from Charleston, S.C. on Friday, May 11 at 6:25 p.m. EDT en route to New York Harbor for the second leg of the competition and a Pro-Am event (May 14 – 19) before departing on May 19 at 11:05 a.m. for the final leg of competition held in Newport, R.I. this weekend (May 26 – 27).
COMBINED FINAL POINT STANDINGS AFTER ALL THREE LEGS OF COMPETITION INSHORE TOTAL POINTS
#115 Mare – GER (Jörg Riechers, Ryan Breymaier, Charles Euvrete) 2,1,1,1 11
#118 Bodacious Dream – USA (Dave Rearick, Matt Scharl) 5,5,6,3 27
#106 Gryphon Solo 2 – USA (Joe Harris, Tristan Mougline)** 4,3,2,8 39
#101 Campagne De France – FRA (Halvard Mabire, Miranda Merron) ** 8,9,9,3 39
#30 Initiatives – USA (Emma Creighton/Rob Windsor) 1,2,4,5 42
#54 Dragon – USA (Michael Hennessy, Merf Owen) ** 7,3,2,1 47
#105 Eole Generation – GDF SUEZ – FRA (Sebastien Rogues, Jeffrey McFarlane) ** 6,4,5,4 47
#109 Talan-Bureau Veritas – FRA (Stephane Le Diraison, Jesse Naimark-Rowse) 3,6,5,6 52
#116 Icarus Racing – USA (Tim Fetsch, Ben Poucher) 10,11,7,4 58
#73 Toothface – USA (Mike Dreese, Ken Luczynski) 9,8,7,9 69
#113 Partouche – FRA (Christophe Coatnoan, Ari Sebag) 13,7,10,12 82
#17 Transport Cohérence – FRA (Benoît Jouandet, Jorge Madden) 11,13,13,11 84
#20 Sevenstar Yacht Transport -FRA (Jean Edouard-Criquioche, Anna-Maria Renkin 14,14,14,14 88
#85 Groupe Picoty – FRA (Jacques Fournier, Jean Christophe “JC” Caso) 12,12,12,13 89
#90 *40 Degrees – GBR (Hannah Jenner, Peter Harding) DNF
*40 Degrees retired during Leg #1 after suffering a broken mast and did not start offshore leg 2 or compete in the inshore series.
** Ties are broken in accordance with RRS A8
For More Images of the Atlantic Cup 2012 Newport Inshore Racing by George Bekris Click HERE
Bodacious Dream #118 Winner Leg 2 Atlantic Cup (Photo by George Bekris)
Mare holds a slim overall Atlantic Cup lead over Bodacious Dream (2nd) and
Campagne De France (3rd) heading into Newport Inshore Series May 26-27, Final Prize Giving
NEWPORT, R.I. –The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing completed its second and final leg of offshore racing with #118 Bodacious Dream, skippered by Dave Rearick and Matt Scharl, crossing the finish line first with an elapsed time of 38:06:34 on Monday, May 21, to complete the 231 nautical mile leg from New York Harbor to Newport, R.I.. The race, featuring an unprecedented international fleet of 14 Class 40s competing in the first carbon neutral sailing event ever held in the United States, saw Bodacious Dream beat out #115 Mare (38:39:41), followed by #101 Campagne De France (38:44:22) and #116 Icarus (39:04:33), with #30 Initiatives (39:36:00) finishing fifth.
The second leg of the Atlantic Cup set sail at 11:05 a.m. ET on Saturday, May 19th from New York Harbor en route to Newport Shipyard with international competitors from the USA, France, Great Britain and Germany. After starting in a light northerly, the teams raced the entire way down the Jersey Shore in short course fleet racing mode. After the turning mark, the boats that were patient and waited for the breeze to shift further east gained on the boats that went north towards Block Island. As a result, those choosing to round Block Island to the east saw that decision pay off. The last five miles to the finish were not without excitement as the tide was against the teams forcing them to tack their way to the finish with Bodacious Dream playing the shift perfectly en route to capturing the victory in the second leg.
Bodacious Dream skipper Dave Rearick: “(Co-skipper) Matt (Scharl) called some great tactics once again. I thought we were making a bee line for France and I kept asking when we were going to tack.”
Bodacious Dream skipper Matt Scharl: “I knew a week ago we were going to go that far out. We wanted to go east until every boat tacked and then go one mile further.”
Asked if they were surprised to be doing this well in their first race with their new boat, Rearick added, “We were hoping to be in the top five, so where we are right now is a real accomplishment. Matt told me a month ago, ‘Dave I’m going to leave you in first before I have to go to my sister’s wedding,’ so he knew.”
Video of the first teams to finish can be found here: http://youtu.be/9BroqGQzKy4, with comprehensive results available here: http://atlanticcup.org/race/results/
RESULTS FROM THE SECOND LEG OF THE 2012 ATLANTIC CUP: TIME POINT FINISH
#118 Bodacious Dream – USA (Dave Rearick, Matt Scharl) 38:06:34 2 1st
#115 Mare – GER (Jörg Riechers, Charles Euvrete) 38:39:41 4 2nd
#101 Campagne De France – FRA (Halvard Mabire, Miranda Merron) 38:44:22 6 3rd
#116 Icarus Racing – USA (Tim Fetsch, Ben Poucher) 39:04:33 8 4th
#30 Initiatives – USA (Emma Creighton, Rob Windsor) 39:36:00 10 5th
#109 Talan-Bureau Veritas – FRA (Stephane Le Diraison, Jesse Naimark-Rowse 39:44:04 12 6th
#106 Gryphon Solo 2 – USA (Joe Harris, Tristan Mougline) 39:58:16 14 7th
#73 Toothface – USA (Mike Dreese, Ken Luczynski) 39:59:25 16 8th
#105 Eole Generation – GDF SUEZ – FRA (Sebastien Rogues, Jeffrey McFarlane) 40:00:37 18 9th
#54 Dragon – USA (Michael Hennessy, Merf Owen) 40:08:47 20 10th
#113 Partouche – FRA (Christophe Coatnoan, Ari Sebag) 40:14:20 20 11th
#85 Groupe Picoty – FRA (Jacques Fournier, Jean Christophe “JC” Caso) 20 12th
#20 Sevenstar Yacht Transport -FRA (Jean Edouard-Criquioche, Anna-Maria Renkin 40:46:13 20 13th
#17 Transport Cohérence – FRA (Benoît Jouandet, Jorge Madden) 41:32:19 20 14th
#90 40 Degrees – GBR (Hannah Jenner, Peter Harding) DNS N/A
PROVISIONAL COMBINED POINT STANDINGS AFTER FIRST TWO LEGS OF OFFSHORE COMPETITION
TOTAL POINTS
#115 *Mare – GER (Jörg Riechers, Ryan Breymaier) 6
#118 Bodacious Dream – USA (Dave Rearick, Matt Scharl) 8
#101 Campagne De France – FRA (Halvard Mabire, Miranda Merron) 10
#106 Gryphon Solo 2 – USA (Joe Harris, Tristan Mougline) 22
#116 Icarus Racing – USA (Tim Fetsch, Ben Poucher) 26
#105 Eole Generation – GDF SUEZ – FRA (Sebastien Rogues, Jeffrey McFarlane) 28
#30 Initiatives – USA (Emma Creighton/Rob Windsor) 30
#109 *Talan-Bureau Veritas – FRA (Stephane Le Diraison, Jesse Naimark-Rowse) 32
#20 Sevenstar Yacht Transport -FRA (Jean Edouard-Criquioche, Anna-Maria Renkin 32
#54 Dragon – USA (Michael Hennessy, Merf Owen) 34
#17 Transport Cohérence – FRA (Benoît Jouandet, Jorge Madden) 36
#73 Toothface – USA (Mike Dreese, Ken Luczynski) 36
#85 Groupe Picoty – FRA (Jacques Fournier, Jean Christophe “JC” Caso) 40
#113 Partouche – FRA (Christophe Coatnoan, Ari Sebag) 40
#90 **40 Degrees – GBR (Hannah Jenner, Peter Harding) 52
*Protest pending between Talan-Bureau Veritas and Mare which, in accordance with the Sailing Instructions, will be heard in Newport, R.I. on Tuesday, May 21, 2012.
**40 Degrees retired during Leg #1 after suffering a broken mast and did not start offshore leg 2.
For more images of the NewYork City Start of Leg 2 click HERE
Leg 1 Winner Mare finishes in New York Harbor (Photo by Billy Black/Atlantic Cup)
#115 Class 40 Mare Wins Leg 1, Charleston, South Carolina to New York Leg of 2012 Atlantic Cup
Fleet to dock in NY Harbor until Pro-Am on May 18, followed by
Final Leg to Newport, RI on May 19 and In-shore Series, May 26-27
With an unprecedented international fleet of 15 Class 40s competing in The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing #115 Mare, skippered by Jörg Riechers and Ryan Breymaier, crossed the finish line first at 1:20:13 a.m. ET on Tuesday, May 15, with an elapsed time of 78:55:13 to complete the 642 nautical mile first off-shore leg of the Atlantic Cup from Charleston, S.C. to New York Harbor. The race, the first carbon neutral sailing event in the United States, saw Germany’s Mare finish ahead of #101 Campagne de France (79:16:38), followed by two American boats in #Bodacious Dream (79:51:56) and Gryphon Solo 2 (80:48:05), with France’s Eole Generation – GDZ Suez (81:50:45) rounding out the top five.
Second Place Winner Campagne De France (Photo by Billy Black)
The race began at 6:25 p.m. on Friday, May 11th from Charleston Marina with international competitors from the USA, France, Great Britain and Germany competing extremely closely for the three-day, first leg. The teams left Charleston harbor with #116 Icarus jumping out in front of the fleet with the best start. Shortly after the start #90 40 Degrees’ cap shroud failed leading to their dismasting andretirement from the first leg of the race. Boats were mostly in sight of each other until they rounded Cape Hatteras, where the fleet split into two groups. One group opted to go towards the shore where the wind was forecasted to be stronger and the other half opted to sail further east into the gulfstream to take advantage of the three knot push. Forecast winds didn’t eventuate for the group headed for the shore allowing the group in the gulfstream to establish and extend the lead over the inshore path.
Third Place Bodacious Dream (Photo by Billy Black)
“It couldn’t get any better, really. So first place and the second win in the second race for the boat, which is pretty cool and I think we had a really really good race, “said Mare skipper Jörg Riechers.
“We tried to make a plan long before the start and stick to it, and I think that helps when you don’t let other people in on what you’re going to do,” said Mare skipper Ryan Breymaier. “The weather conditions might change a little bit, but as long as you sort of stick with the plan you know is right from the beginning, it’s all going to work out in the long run.”
Mare in New York Harbor (Photo by Billy Black)
PROVISIONAL RESULTS FROM THE FIRST LEG OF THE 2012 ATLANTIC CUP: TIME POINT FINISH
#115 *Mare – GER (Jörg Riechers, Ryan Breymaier) 78:55:13 2 1
#101 Campagne De France – FRA (Halvard Mabire, Miranda Merron) 79:16:38 4 2
#118 Bodacious Dream – USA (Dave Rearick, Matt Scharl) 79:51:56 6 3
#106 Gryphon Solo 2 – USA (Joe Harris, Tristan Mougline) 80:48:05 8 4
#105 Eole Generation – GDF Suez – FRA (Sebastien Rogues, Jeffrey McFarlane) 81:50:45 10 5
#20 Sevenstar Yacht Transport -FRA (Jean Edouard-Criquioche, Anna-Maria Renkin 81:54:56 12 6
#54 Dragon – USA (Michael Hennessy, Merf Owen) 82:17:53 14 7
#17 Transport Cohérence – FRA (Benoît Jouandet, Jorge Madden) 82:46:10 16 8
#116 Icarus Racing – USA (Tim Fetsch, Ben Poucher) 82:50:28 18 9
#30 Initiatives – USA (Emma Creighton/Rob Windsor) 82:53:52 20 10
#109 *Talan-Bureau Veritas – FRA (Stephane Le Diraison, Jesse Naimark-Rowse) 84:19:20 20 11
#85 Groupe Picoty – FRA (Jacques Fournier, Jean Christophe “JC” Caso) 84:30:26 20 12
#113 Partouche – FRA (Christophe Coatnoan, Ari Sebag) 85:03:32 20 13
#73 Toothface – USA (Mike Dreese, Ken Luczynski) 89:38:23 20 14
#90 **40 Degrees – GBR (Hannah Jenner, Peter Harding) DNF 22 15
*Protest pending between Talan-Bureau Veritas and Mare. In accordance with the Sailing Instructions, the protest will be heard in Newport, R.I. following the conclusion of Leg #2.
**40 Degrees retired after suffering a broken mast.
Conrad Colman and Scott Cavanough and Cessna Citation Win Leg 4 in Charleston, South Carolina (Photo courtesy of Global Ocean Race)
The Kiwi-Australian duo of Conrad Colman and Scott Cavanough took first place in Global Ocean Race (GOR) Leg 4 from Punta del Este, Uruguay, to South Carolina with Akilaria RC2 Class40 Cessna Citation, crossing the finish line off Charleston at 05:45:00 GMT (01:54:00 local) on Tuesday morning. Colman and Cavanough took 28 days 11 hours and 45 minutes to complete the 5,700 miles from Uruguay to Charleston.
Crossing the finish line at #13 buoy to seaward of Charleston’s twin, offshore breakwaters, 28-year-old Colman and 30-year-old Cavanough lit orange flares in celebration as their Class40 ghosted north in minimal breeze on a long, oily swell beneath a half-moon and cloudless sky with the loom of Charleston’s city lights as a backdrop. Engaging their engine, the victorious duo motored down the clearly-marked channel towards Charleston Harbour, passing between Morris Island and Sullivans Island, then through the 2km-wide gap with Fort Sumter to port and Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island and into the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina.
Colman and Cavanough led the GOR fleet from the start on 2 April in Punta del Este, building a lead of 230 miles by the time Cessna Citation reached the Celox Sailing Scoring Gate at the easternmost point of Brazil after 12 days of racing and increasing further to almost 400 miles as the duo closed in on the Caribbean. For Kiwi skipper Conrad Colman, this isolation at the head of the fleet was satisfying, but the lack of close combat left an empty feeling: “We actually felt a little bit envious of the others as we made a quick break at the beginning and then the wind favoured us, so we very quickly extended out,” he explains. “Then it was just us and the flying fish, whereas the other guys were bouncing off each other and having a good time,” says Colman. “I’ll never get sick of winning, but it was a fairly relaxed way of winning the leg.”
With their impressive lead reduced as Cessna Citation sailed into a completely different weather system than the chasing pack of three Class40s, Colman and Cavanough regained ground again as they left the Bahamas to port before falling into light airs with just 130 miles to the finish. “Unfortunately, by being so far into the lead there was always the risk of moving into a high pressure area and a compression from behind,” Colman confirms. “So there was nothing we could really do.” The only option was to take a westerly heading away from the finish and watch their rich stock of leadership miles tumble. “We were just sailing VMG downwind and the others were power reaching,” he adds.
As Cessna Citation slipped across the Charleston finish line, their closest competitor, Marco Nannini and Sergio Frattaruolo with Financial Crisis, was 161 miles to the south and while the loss of so many miles in the last few days at sea and missing the chance of a fast finish might be mildly disappointing, the two sailors delivered an immaculate leg. This is doubly impressive as Colman and Cavanough have never raced together before – Scott Cavanough explains the potential setbacks this could have presented: “You can certainly tell sometimes that we’re both ex-solo sailors and ex-Mini sailors as we often wanted to do things ourselves in our own way,” he says. “The other guy would come out on deck half asleep and try and help out and would be told to go back to bed and leave everything alone! However, we got along well and made the boat go.”
Conrad Colman and Scott Cavanough win GOR Leg 4 with Cessna Citation (Photo courtesy Global Ocean Race)
On two subjects, both sailors agree unequivocally – the finest moment of the leg, which occurred on the last day at sea: “We were surrounded by dolphins and we sat on the bobstay while they were swimming along by the bow,” says Colman, “We reached out and touched them, which was something very, very special.” And, of course, the lowest point of the leg: “Pulling weed off the rudders and the hydrogenerator gets old really quick,” states Cavanough, recalling the massive fields of Sargasso weed the fleet encountered. “Repeated mechanical failures was also a real stress,” adds Colman, “but overcoming them was good for our team work. We didn’t break anything and we’re fatigued, but could leave tomorrow.”
As the Kiwi-Australian duo recover from Leg 4 at the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, Nannini and Frattaruolo were 116 miles from the finish line at 12:00 GMT averaging just over nine knots.
GOR leaderboard at 12:00 GMT 1/5/12:
1. Cessna Citation 28d 11h 45m
2. Financial Crisis DTF 116 9.1kts
3. Phesheya-Racing DTF 195 7.9kts
4. Sec. Hayai 215 9.2kts
Cessna Citation finish in Charlestion (Photo courtesy of Global Ocean Race)
GROUPE PICOTY (Photo courtesy of Atlantic Cup)
With just over 10 days until the start of the second annual 2012 Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing. Teams from France, England, USA and Germany are all slated to be on the start line for what will be the largest fleet of Class 40s ever to race in the United States.
As previously announced, the Atlantic Cup will feature one of the largest prize purses for sailing in the U.S. ($30,000) and will be the first “eco-friendly” competition of its kind, using biodiesel and hydro generators to limit the use of fuel during the competition and eliminating single-use plastic bottles in its hospitality villages.
Manuka Sports Event Management Founder and Atlantic Cup Race Director, Hugh Piggin, commented:
“The growth we are seeing for the 2012 Atlantic Cup is terrific. This year’s race is going to be an extremely tough and challenging competition for everyone involved. For the fans it will provide some of the best short-handed sailing the United States has ever seen. If you will be in Charleston, New York or Newport you will not want to missseeing this many Class 40 boats lining up against each other. And just likelast year we will provide up to the minute tracking and updates from all boats via our website and facebook page, making it easy to follow the Atlantic Cup whenever and wherever you may be.”
Competition Schedule:
· May 11 – Depart Charleston, South Carolina, for double-handed (two people on board) 645 nautical miles from Charleston to New York Harbor, New York around the challenging Cape Hatteras
· May 18 – Compete in a one day Pro-Am race in New York Harbor
· May 19 – Depart New York Harbor with double-handed 260 nautical miles from New York to Newport
· May 26 – Two days inshore fully crewed (six people on board) buoy racing held over the weekend of May 26 in Newport, RI
· May 27 – Event finish – party and prize giving at Newport Shipyard
Teams that have announced their entry into the Atlantic Cup include:
#17 – Transport Cohérence - FRA Benoît Jouandet and Jorge Madden
#109 – TALAN-Bureau Veritas – FRA – Stephane Le Diraison and Jesse Naimark-Rowse
#30 – Initiatives – GBR Emma Creighton and Rob Windsor
#105- EOLE GENERATION – GDF SUEZ - FRA Sebastien Rogues and Jeffrey MacFarlane
#101- Campagne de France – FRA Miranda Merron and Halvard Mabire
#90 – 40 Degrees – GBR Hannah Jenner and Peter Harding
#73 – Toothface – USA Mike Dreese and Ken Luczynski
#85 – Groupe Picoty – FRA Jacques Fournier and Jean Christophe “JC” Caso
#109 – Masai – FRA Stephane Le Diraison
#113 – Partouch – FRA Christophe Coatnoan
#115 – Mare – GER Jorg Riechers and Marc Lepesquex
#54 – Dragon – USA Michael Hennessy and Christopher Museler
#106 – Gryphon Solo 2 – USA Joe Harris and Tristan Mouligne
#116 – Icarus Racing – USA Tim Fetsch and Ben Poucher
#118 – Bodacious Dream – USA Dave Rearick and Matt Scharl
The English entry 40 Degrees will be skippered by the accomplished short-handed sailors Peter Harding and Hannah Jenner. Harding started sailing at the age of 16, but jumped into short-handed racing in 2007 and has since completed 4 trans-Atlantic races and placed in the top ten in 13 Class40 races on 40 Degrees. The only female to skipper the Clipper Around the World Race and a third place finish in the 2011 Transat Jacques Vabre, Hannah Jenner is considered to be one of the top female short-handed skippers in world.
When asked about what she thinks the toughest aspect of the Atlantic Cup will be, Jenner stated: “The Atlantic Cup presents a great variety of challenges for us. The combination of inshore and offshore racing,interesting weather patterns, ocean currents and intense competition will keep us on our toes. The stages of this race allow interaction between teams shore side and of course make for a great social as well as sporting event. We are very much looking forward to the Atlantic Cup.”
Team Groupe Picoty is made up of two skippers who combined have completed 12 trans-atlantic crossings. Jacques Fournier, formally the Class40 president, is teaming up with Jean-Christophe “JC” Caso. Caso is known for being an expert technician and has managed four Vendee Globe projects since1996 and was one of the shore crew for Brad VanLiew’s 1st place finish in the 2010/11 Velux Five Oceans Race.
JC Caso expressed his excitement for racing in the U.S.: “Jacques and I are looking forward to be in Uncle SAM territory, and take part in the ATLANTIC CUP! It’s definitely a pleasure to see some class 40s for a departure in Charleston, the race is gonna be really tactical on the east coast up to Newport via New York. We think all the crews will give their best to win; it will be a nice fight on the water and a nice cultural exchange with all the international crews. (ouahhhh big parties)!!!!!!!!”
French native, Christophe Coatnoan skipper of Partouch has been competitively sailing for over 14 years. In 2007, Coatnoan won the Morgan Cup and this past fall he completed his second Transat Jacques Vabre finishing 8th.This will be his first appearance in the Atlantic Cup.
Christophe Coatnoan had this to say on the appeal of theAtlantic Cup, “The 2012 Atlantic Cup is perfectly integrated into the schedule as it is set between two Transats: Transat Jacques Vabre and Quebec St Malo. This winter, I was able to race the West Indies, and then keep the boat quietly in Charleston. The course is a key asset of the Atlantic Cup as well, because of Charleston to Newport, via NY, all these places have a feel of legend for us Europeans. Finally, this race will give us the opportunity to meet with the U.S. Class40 teams.”
About The 2012 Atlantic Cup
The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing is adedicated professional Class 40 race held annually in the U.S. with a focus on running an environmentally responsible event. The 2012 edition of the Atlantic Cup starts Friday, May 11th in Charleston, South Carolina and will showcase the top Class 40 sailors in the world as they race a 648 nautical mile off-shore leg double-handed from Charleston around the infamous, Cape Hatteras then north to New York City. Once in New York there will be a brief stopover before competitors start the coastal leg of the race. The coastal leg will take competitors along the same course as the 2011 race: 260 nautical miles, south out of New York to a turning mark off the New Jersey coast before heading north to Newport. Once in Newport, competitors will race a two-day, inshore series with a crew of six. The combined overall winner of both stages will be the Atlantic Cup Champion. The prize purse will be $30,000, making it again one of the largest purses for sailing in the United States.
Quick Facts
· Presented by 11th Hour Racing
o 11th Hour Racing’s establishes a dynamic new platform for public education about the responsible use of energy and resources in the context of an exciting recreational and competitive sport. The use of hydro-generators and bio-diesel in the boats competing in the Atlantic Cup is a direct result of 11th Hour’s commitment to the environment.
· Atlantis Weather Gear is the official apparel provider
· The Newport Shipyard is the official Newport home of the Atlantic Cup
· Boomer Esiason Foundation is the Atlantic Cup’s Official Charitable Partner
· Run under Sailors for the Sea ‘Clean Regattas guidelines
o Using canteen water bottles on the boats while racing and set up and maintain water filling stations during the event
o Using environmentally friendly cleaning products on all boats
o Recycling at all sites during the race
o Recycling by all boats when completing the off-shore and in-shore portion of the race
o Using biodegradable plastic throughout the race including at pre and post-race parties and dinners
o Using 100% post-consumer recycled paper for all event packets
o Organizing a green team to maintain a trash-free site at both hospitality events
o Preventing discharge of untreated sewage or black water in harbor areas and on race courses throughout the event
o Asking all race participants to use water only when washing down their boats during the course of the regatta
· Open to Class40 boats
· $30,000 prize purse
· Depart Charleston, South Carolina May 11, 2012
· Race double-handed 645nm from Charleston to New York
· One day of Pro-Am racing held May 18, 2012 in New York Harbor
· Depart New York Harbor May 19, 2012
· Race double-handed 260nm from New York to Newport
· Two days inshore fully crewed buoy racing held over the weekend of May 26 in Newport, RI
· Finish Party and prize giving in Newport at Newport Shipyard on May 27
History of The Atlantic Cup
Having sailed professionally and worked on some of the biggest sporting events in the world, the creators of The Atlantic Cup have watched professional sailing grow in popularity around the world, however interest has not been as strong in the United States. They realized that professional sailing in the United States has remained a secondary sport largely because there is a lack of races that are sponsor driven, have mass media attention, professional competitors and award prizemoney. The organizers of The Atlantic Cup, therefore, came together to fill the void and create a top-level premier sailing race in the United States. The goal is to produce hard fought, intense sailing competitions featuring the top U.S. and international short-handed sailors. The races will be surrounded by entertaining, engaging events that will engage the casual fan’s interest and grow a new generation of sailing fans and enthusiasts.
Erik van Vuuren lets the autopilot run the show for a while ( Photo by Sec. Hayai)
At 15:00 GMT on Monday, the Global Ocean Race (GOR) fleet leaders Conrad Colman and Scott Cavanough on Cessna Citation were gradually picking up speed with less than 100 miles to the finish line in Charleston as the main trio of Class40s dig into the Gulf Stream.
Leading the pursuing pack in second place, Marco Nannini and Sergio Frattaruolo on Financial Crisis held a 62-mile lead over the South African duo on Phesheya-Racing – a gain of around 20 miles since Sunday afternoon – and were averaging the best speed in the fleet at 10.5 knots on Monday. “We’re pleased with how things have gone in the past two days after the tactical move to cover Phesheya,” confirmed Nannini on Monday morning. “We now feel a little more in control of our destiny,” he adds.
However, with weather files predicting a loss of wind, the remaining 215 miles could present a fresh set of tactical options: “The wind is progressively decreasing, so we hope the finale won’t be too much of a light winds struggle,” says Nannini. At 15:00 GMT on Wednesday, Nannini and Frattaruolo were 106 miles NE of Grand Bahama and 200 miles off the east coast of Florida. “We’re heading north-west, a little left of the direct route, in anticipation of the rotation of the wind and hoping to find the favourable flow of the Gulf Stream to help us run fast along the American coast,” he explains.
Meanwhile, on Phesheya-Racing, Nick Leggatt and Phillippa Hutton-Squire had slowed to just under seven knots on Monday afternoon with their speed averages dropping gradually from over ten knots earlier in the morning. “We’ve caught up 125 miles on Cessna and 131 on Financial Crisis,” reported Hutton-Squire on Monday morning, but the pressure from Van Vuuren and Beusker in fourth place is relentless. “We’ve lost 165 miles to Sec Hayai due to their incredible speeds and they have shadowed us like our reflection on the water.”
On Monday afternoon, the Dutch duo of Erik van Vuuren and Yvonne Beusker on Sec. Hayai continued to close in on Phesheya-Racing taking an extra 30 miles from their lead in 24 hours and trailing the South Africans by 56 miles on Monday afternoon. While Leggatt and Hutton-Squire keep a close eye on the Dutch, progress is still slowed by repeated entanglement with weed: “We sailed into a field of Sargasso Weed slowing the boat, clogging the hydrogenerator and jamming the rudders,” says Hutton-Squire. Putting on head torches, the duo investigated the extent of the entrapment. “We pulled the hydrogenerator up and found that the prop was jammed with weed,” she explains. “In the dark, Nick leant over the back of the boat with the boat hook to try and free the weed and this is when he discovered a fishing net caught in the weed.”
At sunrise, Leggatt and Hutton-Squire could get a better idea of the extent of the weed they were trailing: “I sailed dead downwind, slowing the boat and Nick was able to check the rudders and clear more weed,” continues Hutton-Squire. “We checked the keel through the peep hole in the hull next to the chart table and discovered more weed, but we decided that it wasn’t enough weed to stop the boat for.”
GOR leaderboard 15:00 GMT 30/4/12:
1. Cessna Citation DTF 91.7 6.1kts
2. Financial Crisis DTL 215 10.5kts
3. Phesheya-Racing DTL 277 6.7kts
4. Sec. Hayai DTL 333 9.4kts
