Lilla - IRL 7600 - CNB Briand 76 yacht skippered by Simon De Pietro (Photo by Daniel Forster/PPL)
Hamilton, Bermuda, June 21, 2012 – ‘Lilla’, the big red Briand 76 (IRL7600) owned by Simon and Nancy De Pietro of Cork, Ireland and Mattapoisett MA, sailed a fast straight-forward Newport Bermuda Race and won Class 13 in the Cruiser Division. ‘Lilla’ also took first place in the whole Cruiser Division and will be presented with the Carleton Mitchell Finesterre Trophy for first place.
True - USA 22 - J160 production yacht yacht skippered by Howard B Hodgson Jnr (Photo by Daniel Forster/PPL)
‘Lilla’ led classmate ‘True’, a J-160 owned by Howard Hodgson of Ipswich MA by 1 hr 17 min on corrected time for the win in class and division. ‘True’ was second in both Class 13 and the division. Third place in the Cruiser division went to ‘Odyssey’ a Swan 55 sailed by Glenn Dexter from Halifax NS.
And there is Icing on the cake for ‘Lilla’. In 2011 she raced in the Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race and set the 645-mile course record from Marion MA to Bermuda at 68:58:45. That performance last year and her top finish in the Newport Bermuda Race earn her the Bermuda Ocean Cruising Yacht Trophy presented by SAIL Magazine. This special combined competition trophy goes to the captain who has the best performance in consecutive Newport Bermuda and Marion Bermuda races. ‘Lilla’ sailed from Newport this time— a 10-mile shorter course in 63:17:13, some 5 hours and 41 minutes faster.
“The only problem we had,” said navigator Nancy De Pietro, “was getting water to the forward head and shower. The water tank we were using was aft, on the port side [That was the high side on the long port tack all the way down from Newport] and the pump had trouble because it was sucking air up there.”
“The one great thing about sailing on this type of boat is that we get to shower after coming off of every watch,” said Simon De Pietro with a smile.
Not having water for showers would have been a crisis for this cruiser crew… all good friends and family. It was an international crew with sailors from Ireland, the Dutch West Indies, England, Canada, South Africa and the USA. ‘Lilla’ has a comfortable 3-cabin layout and is used for charter as well as offshore racing.
In addition to doing the Bermuda Races, she has also done the Caribbean 600. She is an aluminum yacht with just 8.5-foot draft. She does not go to weather well but on a reach her waterline works and she is good and fast. The De Pietros thought of entering the St. David’s Lighthouse Division but needed to be able to use the power winches.
‘True’ a 53 foot J-160— also in Class 13— finished an hour behind ‘Lilla’ Her navigator Richard Casner of Dedham MA said, “The conditions were perfect for ‘True’ we had entered as a non-spinnaker boat and we think that paid off. We were right next to the Swan 60 ‘Lady B’ when she set a chute and we were able to walk away from her. The double headsail rig we used was just right for this boat in this race.”
The Newport Bermuda Race had 6 divisions and 17 classes. The Cruiser division had 30 entries. More than 100 prizes will be awarded Saturday evening on the lawn of Bermuda’s Government House. His Excellency Mr. George Fergusson the Governor of Bermuda will present the prizes along with Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Commodore John Brewin and the Cruising Club of America Commodore Dan Dyer.
Carina -USA 315 - McCurdy & Rhodes 48 yacht skippered by A Rives Potts Jnr, making the most of the blustery conditions. Carina is the provisional winner of the principal St David's Lighthouse Trophy for the third time. (Photo by Barry Pickthall / PPL)
Going into Monday evening, LLwyd Ecclestone’s ‘Kodiak’ crew was hopeful of winning the St. David’s Lighthouse Trophy, the most coveted of the three main Newport Bermuda Trophies awarded to the corrected time winner of the large amateur division. Then came ‘Carina’ to steal the show.
It looks as though, Based on provisional results, Rives Potts’ McCurdy and Rhodes 48-foot ‘Carina’ (Westbrook CT) won Class 3 and the silver scale model St. David’s Lighthouse Trophy for first in the Division and probably more loot to boot. ‘Carina’ with Potts at the helm won the same first place trophy in the 2010 race and in 1970 ‘Carina’ won it under Richard Nye. This ties ‘Carina’ with ‘Finisterre’ as the boat with the most lighthouses on her trophy rack. ‘Finisterre’ won three in a row under Carleton Mitchel 1956, 1958 and 1960.
Defiance - NA 23 - Navy 44 training yacht skippered by Bryan Weisberg (Photo by Daniel Forster / PPL)
‘Carina’ finished at 6:16PM in Bermuda and had a corrected time of 45:08:16. The US Naval Academy’s new Navy 44 ‘Defiance’ was second in Class 3 behind ‘Carina’ and also second in the St. David’s Lighthouse Division. Her corrected time was 45:42:50. The US Naval Academy’s older Navy 44 Class 2 boat, ‘Swift’, was first in her class and third overall for the division with a corrected time of 46:09:04. It was a pretty tight race with just 26 corrected minutes between these top two boats in the division after a 635-mile sleigh-ride.
For Potts and crew, this is his second St. David’s Lighthouse win in a row. “We had a fantastic race,” Potts said. “ Pretty straight forward. We powered through the stream and then played two big shifts down the rhumbline further south. We gybed twice and then tacked twice for the finish when the wind got lighter and went forward. We finished under a light #1 headsail.” These gybes and tacks were more than most of the other boats in the race made and probably helped ‘Carina’ win overall.
“The boat just got back from a circumnavigation and racing in the world’s top races three weeks ago. My son and nephew did a great job of getting ‘Carina’ ready for Bermuda. In a race like this, preparation is one key to winning. Crew work is another and we had a family based crew working together.” Potts added.
The crew of ‘Carina’ is made up of four fathers and five sons. One of the fathers, Bud Sutherland, is Rives Potts’ brother-in-law and his son Rives Sutherland is the Captain of ‘Carina’ who took her on her global trek.
Change happened overnight in the Double-Handed Division, too. Perennial double-handed winner Hewitt Gaynor (Fairfield CT) slipped his J120 Mireille into first in Class 15 and first in the division. Joe Harris (South Hamilton MA) who sailed such a fast race in his Class 40 ‘Gryphon Solo2’ was alone on the leader board Monday. Harris had an elapsed time of 60:20:26 while Gaynor’s was 74:12:34. On corrected time, ‘Mireille’ beat ‘Gryphon Solo2’ by roughly 4 hours.
Shockwave - USA 60272 - a mini maxi yacht skippered by George Sakellaris (Photo by Daniel Forster / PPL)
The provisional Gibbs Hill Division winner is ‘Shockwave’ a Reichel/Pugh 72 skippered by George Sakellaris of Farmington MA. Sakellaris will win the silver replica of the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, a top prize along with the St. David’s Light. ‘Shockwave’ took double silver snatching the North Rock Beacon Trophy, the third important prize for the IRC corrected time winner, which is a silver replica of the 1960-1990 North Rock Light Tower that once warned mariners of the rocky approach to Bermuda from the North.
Med Spirit - FRA 1575 - Welbourn 92 maxi skippered by Michael D'Amelio. (Photo by Daniel Forster/PPL)
‘Med Spirit’ sailed by Michael D’Amelio (Boston, MA) in the Open Division is the other winner that seems clear under the provisional results for the Royal Mail trophy. Six boats started in this division that featured boats from 40 feet to 100 feet in length. Their common denominator was moveable ballast, either canting keels or water ballast. The 3 Class 40 boats all had water ballast and were fully crewed so they did not qualify to sail against the 3 Class 40’s that went double-handed in Class 15.
The Wally 100 ‘Indio’ under Mark Fliegner (Monaco) came second. ‘Donnybrook’, in her maiden race skippered by Jim Muldoon (Washington DC) had to retire with damage to her daggerboard and daggerboard trunk. Under corrected time only about 5 hours separated the winning 100-footer and the bottom Class 40.
‘Spirit of Bermuda’, the Bermuda Sloop Foundation sail-training vessel, was the sole entry in the new Spirit of Tradition Division. She finished Monday night at 11:20 ADT.
Shockwave - USA 60272 - a mini maxi yacht skippered by George Sakellaris (Photo by Daniel Forster/PPL))
By John Rousmaniere
As of 1800 Sunday, six boats have finished the race, each of them breaking an elapsed time course record. In finishing order, they are Rambler (Class 10), Bella Mente (Class 10), Shockwave (Class 10), Team Tiburon (Class 10), Med Spirit (Class 16), and Kodiak (Class 8). Shockwave and Kodiak are the current corrected time leaders in the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse Division and St. David’s Lighthouse Division, respectively. Med Spirit is the current corrected time leader in the Open Division.
First to finish Rambler, a 90-foot Reichel/Pugh sloop owned by George David (Hartford, Conn.), broke the course record decisively, averaging 16.06 knots down the 635-mle course in a time of 39 hours, 39 minutes, 18 seconds. She clipped 9 hours off the previous course record set in 2004 by Morning Glory, which averaged 13.06 knots for Open Division boats and 14 hours from the ‘Official’ Record. Med Spirit set the new Open Division record of 45 hours, 26 minutes, 28 minutes… three hours faster than the previous record.
Sailors had vivid descriptions of high-speed, extremely rough conditions on the long, fast reach that prevailed from start to finish. Scott King, Team Tiburon, reported that after starting under a spinnaker, once the boat cleared the Narragansett Bay entrance buoys the crew set a double-headsail rig with a topsail over a jib. They then took in and shook out reefs in the mainsail as the conditions warranted, with one or two sailors always working the mainsheet.
Team Tiburon sailed Wizard a 74-foot sloop designed by Reichel/Pugh and chartered by Mark E. Watson III, a Bermuda business CEO. They covered 385 miles in her first 24 hours in the race, averaging almost 17 knots. “She felt slow when the speed dropped to 11,” King said. “I’ve been in boats where 11 knots was not even part of the plan.”
King said the water was always rough, with some waves 8 feet or higher and water constantly on deck, pushing sailors around. The Gulf Stream crossing was not as rough as he expected, he said, but it was spectacularly beautiful.
“Just before we entered the Stream we saw a long streak of phosphorescence in the water, as though a full moon was out and shining right down on it.” The phosphorescence disappeared when the boat charged into the main body of the Gulf Stream, but reappeared. “Dolphins were torpedoing through all this, right in front of us,” King said.
As they neared Bermuda on Sunday morning, Team Tiburon sailed into a series of rain-squalls with stronger winds that pushed the boat to over 20 knots as she crossed the finish line off St. David’s Head.
George David"s 90ft maxi Rambler has smashed the 635 mile Newport Bermuda race record, clipping a massive 14 hours off the previous best time set 10 years ago by Roy Disneyâs Pyewacket. The new record now stands at 39hr, 39 minutes, 18 seconds (subject to ratification) - an average speed of 16knots(Photo by Barry Pickthall/PPL)
Dateline: 07:09:18 ADT Bermuda: George David’s 90ft maxi Rambler has smashed the 635 mile Newport Bermuda race record, clipping a massive 14 hours off the previous best time set 10 years ago by Roy Disney’s Pyewacket. The new record now stands at 39hr, 39 minutes, 18 seconds (subject to ratification) – an average speed of 16knots.
A delighted George David said. “These were perfect conditions. The most exciting moment was when we hit 26 knots. I’m so pleased with our performance. We have reduced the record by 25% – Not bad for a boat that is now 10 years old. This Rambler is the best boat I have ever owned!”
Rambler not only slashed the race record, her crew also spanked their rivals, with Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente crossing the lighthouse line 1 hour 43 minutes behind, followed 3 minutes later by Shockwave skippered by George Sakellaris.
On corrected time however, Shockwave beat Rambler by 33 minutes, followed by Belle Mente in 3rd and Team Tiburon 4th. Two yachts in class 10 are still racing.
There are 166 entries competing in the race, including four Bermuda boats.American entry, Ragana, withdrew from the race at the weekend after experiencing mechanical breakdown en route to Newport.Mr Osmond, a veteran of 15 Newport Bermuda Races, said preparations for this year’s race have so far gone as planned.
“Everything is going along quite smoothly fortunately for the committee which consists of 46 people who have been working for two years on this event,” he said. “All the pieces have come together and everybody has been working very hard.”
Bermuda Race vice-chairman and past RBYC Commodore Les Crane added: “I think registration is going very smoothly and John Osmond who is the race chairman has done a fabulous job putting all this together.“We’re registering the boats ensuring all the paperwork is complete and that everyone is in compliance with the rules that allow them to race.“The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club work closely with the Cruising Club of America who are partners in this race and we’re up here to ensure everyone understand what to expect when they get to Bermuda.”There are a number of social events that will take place in the final lead up to the start of the race, not the least of which is the ever popular Gosling’s Rum Newport Shipyard Crew Party.“We will have a great Bermudian party sponsored by Gosling’s at Newport Shipyard on Wednesday night,” Mr Crane said. “There will be Dark & Stormies and music and it will be a lot of fun.”The 2012 Newport Bermuda Race commences June 15 and concludes several days later in St David’s. The RBYC Anniversary Regatta presented by Butterfield Group will be sailed in the Great Sound on Friday, June 22nd.
Newport Bermuda Race 2010 Start (Photo by George Bekris)
Entry List for Newport to Bermuda 2012
| Yacht | Yacht Type | Division | Captain |
| ANGEL | Ctm 84 | CD | Edward T. Anderson |
| ATTITUDE | Beneteau 423 | CD | Shawn Dahlen |
| BLUE | C&C 51xl | CD | Daniel Epstein |
| CALUSA | Sabre 386 | CD | Peter H. Holmes |
| CAPELLA | Sabre 452 | CD | David Millet |
| CETACEA | Hinckley SW 59 | CD | Christopher J. Culver |
| CHASSEUR | Little Harbor 54 | CD | Gregory G. Smith |
| CHECKMATE | Alden 44 | CD | Frank J. Flores, Jr. |
| CONTINGENCY | Oyster 53 | CD | Christopher C. Darby |
| CRACKERJACK | Cambria 40 | CD | Alan H. Krulisch |
| DEFIANCE | Swan 56 | CD | Peter B. Noonan |
| FEO | Joshua Ketch | CD | Eric P. Best |
| GLORY | Tartan 4700 | CD | William Slattery |
| GRACE | First 40.7 | CD | Jack Ives |
| HAERLEM | Swan 55 | CD | Hendrikus PLM Wisker |
| INISHARON | F&C 44 | CD | James D’A. Murphy |
| ISOLA | Baltic 52 | CD | Howard Eisenberg |
| KANGAROO IV | Sabre 425 | CD | Harvey E. Cohen |
| LADY B | Swan 60 | CD | John P. Madden Jr. |
| LIBERTY CALL | Hallberg Rassy 43 | CD | Matthew G, Pilon |
| LILLA | CNB Briand76 | CD | Simon De Pietro |
| MOONDANCE | Swan 56 | CD | Michael V, Johnson |
| OCEAN WANDERER 1 | Montevideo 43 | CD | Erwin Wanderer |
| ODYSSEY | Swan 55/57 | CD | Glen V Dexter |
| PILGRIM | Alden 44 | CD | Mark Rice |
| POESKE | Beneteau First42 | CD | Richard Donn |
| SHINDIG | Pea39 | CD | Kevin G, Flannery |
| SKY | Swan 53 | CD | Barrett Raymond |
| TRUE | J/160 | CD | Howard B. Hodgson, Jr. |
| WISCHBONE | Oyster 53 | CD | Jeffrey S. Wisch |
| ALIBI | J120 | DH | Gardner L. Grant, Jr. |
| AMHAS | Class 40 | DH | MacKenzie Davis |
| AVATAR | Ranger 37 | DH | John Kedzierski |
| CHOUCAS | Sunfast 36 | DH | Frederic Cosandey |
| DRAGON | Class 40 | DH | Michael Hennessy |
| EAGLE | J40 | DH | Dana Oviatt |
| GRYPHONSOLO2 | Akilaria RC2 | DH | Joseph S. Harris |
| KIVA | Hinckley SW 51CB | DH | Mark Stevens |
| MIREILLE | J120 | DH | E. Hewitt Gaynor |
| NEXT BOAT | Morris 45 | DH | Mark Ellman |
| OAKCLIFF RACING | Ker 11.3 | DH | Jeffrey A. MacFarlane |
| PALADIN | J35 | DH | Jason Richter |
| PENGUIN | Pearson 35 | DH | Steven H. Dane |
| RESOLUTE | J122 | DH | D. Scott Miller |
| RUSE | Swan 44mkII | DH | William Marsh |
| SAILOR BANDIDO | Quest 33 | DH | Christopher A. Palabrica |
| SEABISCUIT | J46 | DH | Nathan C, Owen |
| VALOUR | Peterson 37 | DH | Ernie Messer |
| WHISPER | Hinckley 48 | DH | Thomas J. Vander Salm |
| AVRA | Ctm 40 | GHL | George Petrides |
| BELLA MENTE | 72′ Mini Maxi | GHL | Hap Fauth |
| CLEM | Swan 56 | GHL | Jaime Olazabal |
| DEFIANCE | Marten 49 | GHL | Hamnett P. Hill |
| DRAGONFLY | J/130 | GHL | Colin A. McGranahan |
| MEANIE | R/P 52 | GHL | Thomas Akin |
| PANDORA | C&C 115 | GHL | Peter J. Bromley |
| PTARMIGAN | Ker 43 | GHL | Lawrence F, Dickie |
| RAMBLER | Ctm 90 | GHL | George David |
| RIMA2 | RP 55 | GHL | John G. Brim |
| SHOCKWAVE | Mini Maxi | GHL | George Sakellaris |
| SNOW LION | Ker 50 | GHL | Lawrence S, Huntington |
| STARK RAVING MAD | Swan 601 | GHL | James C. Madden |
| TEAM TIBURON | R/P 74 | GHL | Mark E. Watson III (USMMA) |
| TEMPTATION-OAKCLIFF | Ker 50 | GHL | Oakcliff Sailing Santry Arthur |
| UXORIOUS IV | Swan 62 | GHL | Colin J. Buffin |
| DONNYBROOK | Andrews 80 | Open | James P. Muldoon |
| ICARUS | Class 40 | Open | Amanda Mochrie |
| INDIO | Wally 100 | Open | Mark Fliegner |
| MED SPIRIT | Welbourn 92 | Open | Michael DAmelio |
| TOOTHFACE | Akilaria Class40 | Open | Mike Dreese |
| TRANSPORT COHÉRENCE | Class40 | Open | Benoit Jouandet |
| ACTAEA | Hinckley B40 | SDL | Michael M, Cone |
| AIRBORNE IV | Beneteau 50 | SDL | William B. Greenwood III |
| AKELA III | Swan 43 | SDL | Djoerd Hoekstra |
| ARROWHEAD | J42 | SDL | Steve Berlack |
| AURELIUS | Bestevaer 76 | SDL | Daniel van Starrenburg |
| AURORA | Tartan 41 | SDL | Andrew F. Kallfelz |
| AVENIR | C&C 41 | SDL | Joseph Murray |
| BACCHANAL | J133 | SDL | Jan Smeets |
| BACCI | Swan 53 | SDL | Lorenzo Vascotto |
| BANDANA | Swan 47 | SDL | Charles F. Benson |
| BARLEYCORN | NYYC Swan 42 | SDL | Brendan J Brownyard |
| BARRA | Morris 486 | SDL | Bruce M. MacNeil |
| BEAGLE | J/44 | SDL | Philip H. Gutin |
| BELLE AURORE | Cal 40 | SDL | Doug Jurrius |
| BLACK WATCH | Ctm 68 Yawl | SDL | Joseph C. Robillard |
| BOMBARDINO | Santa Cruz 52 | SDL | James and Macrae Sykes |
| BRETWALDA 3 | Rogers 46 | SDL | Bob Pethick |
| BRIGAND | Ctm 50 | SDL | Sean D. Saslo |
| CANNONBALL | Swan 68 | SDL | Charles A. Robertson |
| CARINA | Ctm 48 | SDL | A. Rives Potts, Jr. |
| CHARLIE V | J/44 | SDL | Norman H. Schulman, MD |
| CHRISTOPHER DRAGON | J/122 | SDL | Andrew Weiss |
| CONVICTION | TP52 | SDL | Ralf Steitz |
| CONVICTUS MAXIMUS | Farr IRC 42 | SDL | Donald W. Nicholson |
| CRAZY HORSE | Frers Comp 45 | SDL | Patrick T. Walker |
| CYBELE | IMX-45 | SDL | Rick Burnes |
| CYGNETTE | Swan 441 | SDL | William J. Mayer |
| DAWN STAR | Baltic 46 | SDL | William N. Hubbard III |
| DECISION | Carkeek HP 40 | SDL | Stephen Murray |
| DEFIANCE | NAVY 44 | SDL | Bryan Weisberg |
| DOGSLED | Kaufman 47 | SDL | Todd Forrest Barnard |
| DORADE | S&S Custom | SDL | James A. Hilton |
| DREAMCATCHER | Swan 48 S&S | SDL | Stephen Kylander |
| FEARLESS | Farr 395 | SDL | Shaun J. Ensor |
| FINESSE | J42 | SDL | Newton P.S. Merrill |
| FLYING LADY | Swan 46 | SDL | Phillip S. Dickey MD |
| GLIDE | J42 | SDL | C.Tanner Rose, Jr |
| GLORY | J/44 | SDL | Jason LeBlanc |
| GOLD DIGGER | J/44 | SDL | James D. Bishop |
| GRACIE | McCurdy & Rhodes | SDL | Stephan A & Simon W Frank |
| GREAT SCOT | J35 | SDL | Darren Garnier |
| GREY GHOST | Zaal 38 | SDL | Philip P. Parish |
| GRUNDOON | Columbia 50 | SDL | James A. Grundy |
| HAKUNA MATATA | Cal 39 TM 1-147 | SDL | Christopher J. Andrews |
| HIRO MARU | Swan 43 Classic | SDL | Hiroshi Nakajima |
| HOT TICKET | King 40 | SDL | James E. Hightower |
| ILLUSION | Grand Soleil 45 | SDL | Ralph F. Racca |
| INVICTUS | TP52 | SDL | Ralph Duffett |
| ISLA | New York 32 | SDL | Henry S. May, Jr. |
| JACKKNIFE | J133 | SDL | Andrew Hall |
| JACQUELINE IV | Hinckley SW 42 | SDL | Robert Forman |
| KODIAK | Ctm 65 | SDL | Edwin Llwyd Ecclestone |
| LAPIN | Beneteau First 4 | SDL | Christopher J. Clark |
| LINDY | Peterson 38 | SDL | David G. Dickerson |
| LIR | Swan 45 | SDL | John A. McNamara |
| LORA ANN | Express 37 | SDL | Richard T. du Moulin |
| MAGIC | Santa Cruz 52 | SDL | Kenneth Laudon |
| MATADOR | J133 | SDL | Dale E. McIvor |
| MISCHIEVOUS | Ctm 65 | SDL | Albert J. Fitzgibbons III |
| MISTY | J40 WK | SDL | Fred Allardyce |
| MOLTO BENE | Beneteau First 4 | SDL | Richard Ewing |
| MOONSHINE | Tartan 4100 | SDL | Dennis J. Ziemba |
| MORGAN OF MARIETTA | Centurion 42 | SDL | Colin G. Golder |
| MORPHEUS | Schumacher 50 | SDL | James D. Gregory |
| MUSICA | Aerodyne 38 | SDL | Cliff T. Haddox |
| NASTY MEDICINE | Corby 41.5 | SDL | Dr Stephen J. Sherwin |
| NICOLE | Cal 40 | SDL | Thomas C. duPont |
| OLD SCHOOL | Farr 395 | SDL | J Ganson Evans |
| PASSION4C | Bill Tripp 56 | SDL | Stefan Lehnert |
| PATRIOT | Nautor Swan | SDL | Richard J. Isted |
| QUEST | Cambria 40 | SDL | Dennis W. Powers |
| RAGANA | Cape Fear 38R | SDL | Darius Peleda |
| REGATTA | Carter 41 | SDL | Constantine G. Koste |
| RELATIVITY | First 50 | SDL | Hall Palmer |
| ROCKET J. SQUIRREL | Swan 39 | SDL | L, Otorowski |
| ROCKET SCIENCE | J120 | SDL | Rick F. Oricchio |
| RUNAWAY | J/44 | SDL | Lawrence R. Glenn |
| SELKIE | McCurdy & Rhodes 38 | SDL | Sheila McCurdy |
| SHAZAAM | J42 | SDL | Roger B. Gatewood |
| SHINNECOCK | J120 | SDL | James C. Praley |
| SINN FEIN | Cal 40 | SDL | Peter S. Rebovich, Sr. |
| SLIDE RULE | First 44.7 | SDL | Scott Bearse |
| STAMPEDE | J/44 | SDL | Jimmie Sundstrom |
| STORMY PETREL | Leadership 44 | SDL | Jack Neades |
| SWIFT | NAVY 44 | SDL | Steve Jaenke |
| TEMPTRESS | IMX-45 | SDL | Robert W. Kits Heyningen |
| TRIPLE LINDY | Swan 44 MKll | SDL | Joseph Mele |
| VAMP | J/44 | SDL | Leonard J. Sitar |
| WANDRIAN | Taylor 41 | SDL | D. William Tucker |
| WAZIMO | Aerodyne 38 | SDL | Barrett Holby |
| WHITE RHINO | Swan 56 | SDL | Collin J. Marshall |
| WIDOW MAKER | C&C 44 | SDL | George Bauer |
| WINDBORN | J120 | SDL | Richard W. Born |
| ZEST | Hinckley SW42 | SDL | Brian E. Swiggett |
| ZION | Aerodyne 38 | SDL | Timothy P. Maney |
| ZOE II | First 40 | SDL | Francois Brassard |
| SPIRIT OF BERMUDA | Ctm 86 | SPIRIT | Scott Jackson |
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.
