The Atlantic Cup to return in 2018

The sixth edition of the Atlantic Cup will start from Charleston, South Carolina on May 26, 2018 and culminate the weekend of June 10th in Portland, Maine.

The 1048 nm Atlantic Cup is the longest offshore race in the Western Atlantic, the only race that includes both Cape Hatteras and Cape Cod and the only short-handed offshore race dedicated to the Class40.

The race was created in 2011 to showcase short-handed, offshore racing with hard fought competition and exciting shore based events, while also being the most environmentally sustainable sailing race in the United States. The Atlantic Cup has been carbon neutral since 2012 and was the first and is the only sports event in the U.S. to be ISO 20121 compliant.

The first leg will take the fleet from Charleston on a 648-nautical mile race to New York City. The race will stop-over in Brooklyn, NY on May 28 to June 2. Teams will then race 360 nm from New York to Portland, Maine. The Atlantic Cup will wrap up in Portland on June 4-10 with a two-day inshore series.

Six teams having confirmed entry with another four indicating interest.

“Since the race’s inception, it has grown from a small concept to a well-known, extremely competitive race on the international Class40 calendar,” said Hugh Piggin,Atlantic Cup Race Director. “We anticipate a fleet of at least 10 Class40s from Europe and the U.S. on the start line.”

The Atlantic Cup ran annually in May from 2011 through 2014. After 2014, the race moved to a biennial event. As of 2016, the Atlantic Cup’s stop-overs include Charleston, S.C., Brooklyn, N.Y. and Portland, Maine.

For more on the Atlantic Cup, visit AtlanticCup.org

Source: Julianna Barbieri