ATLANTIC CUP: Beaten at Block Island

Newport, RI (May 19, 2013) – In a completely unforecasted cloudy and rainy sky in New York City, the second leg of the Atlantic Cup got underway in light air on May 18. This doublehanded leg would take the seven Class40 teams from New York to Newport, RI on the 260nm route.

Reported leg one winner Bodacious Dream, “We started in a fluky upwind start heading out the New York City harbor the winds sometimes pointing you in the direction you wanted to go and other times a bit off…..then picking your way thru the ferries, barges, ships, recreational traffic and the constant drone of helicopters made for a strange energy for the day.

“Through the long, damp, rainy night we changed sails, back and forth trying desperately to stay in the lead, but the fickleness of the winds kept us all guessing at who was in the lead. It’s been full on; neither of us have really slept at all or eaten much more than a hand full of cookies, carrots or granola bars. Tension is high, but excitement and adrenalin rank up there too.”

With the fleet dealing with a light breeze out of a Southeasterly direction, they were still bunched with only 30+ miles to the finish, with Block Island directly in the way. The leader at this point was Gryphon Solo, but their position to the right of the field forced their hand to pass on its eastern side. This proved to be their undoing, as they lost out to both Bodacious Dream and LeCoq Cuisine who were able to pass the island to the west and into the lead.

Finishing order – Finish time
1. Bodacious Dream – USA (Dave Rearick, Matt Scharl) – 20:14
2. Lecoq Cuisine – USA (Eric Lecoq, Conrad Colman) – 20:19
3. Gryphon Solo 2 – USA (Joe Harris, Tristan Mougline) – 20:24
4. Dragon – USA (Michael Hennessy, Merf Owen) – 20:32
5. Icarus Racing – USA (Tim Fetsch, Ben Poucher) – 20:42
6. 40 Degrees – GBR (Hannah Jenner, Peter Harding) – 20:48
7. Pleiad Racing – USA (Ed Cesare, Chad Corning) – 20:59

Background: The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing is a dedicated professional Class40 race held annually in the U.S. The 2013 edition started with a doublehanded leg on May 11 from Charleston, SC to New York, NY (648 nm), and another doublehanded leg on May 18 from New York to Newport, RI (260 NM). The event concludes on May 25-26 with inshore fully crewed (six people on board) buoy racing in Narragansett Bay. – www.atlanticcup.org