Atlantic Cup finalize entry list

The 2013 Atlantic Cup Presented by 11th Hour Racing Readies for Start of Challenging Three-City, Seven-Boat Class 40 Competition from Charleston, S.C. (May 11) to New York Harbor (May 14 – 17) to Newport, R.I. for Inshore Series (May 25 – 26)

Third Annual Atlantic Cup to stress Carbon Neutral competition by using biodiesel, hydro-generators, solar and fuel cells to limit fuel use during competition;

2012 Atlantic Cup was first carbon-neutral sailing event in the USA saving over 23,000 pounds of CO2   

New York events include “Living on the Edge”, a celebration of the race’s environmental commitment (May 16) with a panel on sea level rise and its impact on coastal cities, plus a Pro-Am in New York

April 23, 2013 – Charleston, S.C.: The 2013 Atlantic Cup presented by 11^th Hour Racing announced today its final plans and competition field for the third running of the premier U.S. Class 40 sailing event in the country. The event will feature seven boats; six from the USA and one from Great Britain. Teams will set sail from Charleston, S.C. on Saturday, May 11 at 2 p.m. EDT on a 648 nautical mile race to New York Harbor for the second leg of the competition and a Pro-Am event (May 14 – 17) before departing on May 18 at 2 p.m. EDT on a 231 nautical mile final leg of competition. The annual event culminates in Newport, R.I. with two days of Inshore racing (May 25 – 26).

Teams confirmed to compete in The 2013 Atlantic Cup include:

#39         Pleiad Racing – USA, Ed Cesare (Norwalk, CT) and Chad Corning (Larchmont, NY)
#54         Dragon – USA, Michael Hennessy (New York, NY) and Rob Windsor (New York, NY)
#90         40 Degrees – GBR, Hannah Jenner (GB) and Peter Harding (GB)
#106       Gryphon Solo 2 – USA, Joe Harris (Boston, MA) and Tristan Mougline (Newport, RI)
#116       Icarus Racing – USA, Tim Fetsch (Charleston, SC) and Ben Poucher (Newport, RI)
#118       Bodacious Dream – USA, Dave Rearick (Chesterton, IN) and Matt Scharl (Chicago, IL)
#121       LeCoq Cuisine – USA, Eric Lecoq (Bridgeport, CT) and Conrad Coleman (Auckland, NZ)

The 2013 Atlantic Cup presented by 11^th Hour Racing will once aim to minimize its carbon footprint. The carbon footprint of the race will be calculated by Green Mountain Energy Company in a post-race assessment. Carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates (RECs) will be used in order to offset emissions associated with the event, such as staff air travel, ground and water transportation, staff hotel stays, and event electricity usage.  Additionally, throughout the 2013 multi-city event the teams will use biodiesel hydro generators, solar panels and fuel cells to limit the use of fuel during the competition. Organizers will eliminate the use of single-use plastic bottles in their hospitality villages and teams will eliminate the use of plastic water bottles on-board their boats.

The Atlantic Cup, in a partnership agreement with 11^th Hour Racing and Green Mountain Energy Company, last year became the first carbon-neutral sailing race in the US by offsetting an estimated 23,030 pounds (10.45 metric tons) of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. Sailors for the Sea certified the Atlantic Cup Gold in 2012 and for 2013 SfS is unveiling a new Platinum level certification. Following a series of guidelines provided by SfS the Atlantic Cup will strive for platinum level status.

Quote from Hugh Piggin, Manuka Sports Event Management founder and Atlantic Cup Race Director – “With a growing American fleet and two of the top international Class 40 sailors racing in this year’s Atlantic Cup; the competition is going to be very close. In addition, after a tough winter and heavy hurricane season that affected two of the three cities we will visit, our environmental commitment has become even more relevant and we are proud to be continuing our efforts to raise awareness and demonstrate that making small changes to how we organize and run our race can make a great impact over time.”

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 Charleston (Saturday, May 11, 2 p.m. ET), 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.).

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.

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

Sponsors and Partners are a key component in the Atlantic Cup presented by 11^th Hour Racing being able to annually put on the premier Class 40 race in the United States. The 2013 Atlantic Cup is proud to welcome back returning sponsors and partners including 11^th Hour Racing, Green Mountain Energy, Atlantis Weathergear, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Zip2Water, Newport Biodiesel, Sailors for the Sea, Newport Shipyard, Billy Black Photography and the Boomer Esiason Foundation. We are also honored to welcome new sponsors that include Double Cross Vodka, Brown & Brown Insurance brokers, Chubb Insurance, Block Island Organics mineral sun block, Jamestown FiSH , safety partner Mcmurdo Marine, logistics partner Peter’s & May and education partner Rozalia Project.

About The 2013 Atlantic Cup
The Atlantic Cup presented by 11^th 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 11^th 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.

CONTACT:
Julianna Barbieri, Manuka Sports Event Management, Julianna@ManukaSEM.com / 917-693-1656

Jeff Pomeroy, JDP Communications, jpomeroy@jdppr.com / 678-471-6590

For more information please on The Atlantic Cup please visit the Website at www.AtlanticCup.org