Atlantic Cup: Teaching kids about sailing, safety, and the environment

The 2014 Atlantic Cup starts in Charleston, SC on May 10 for the 685-mile doublehanded leg to New York City. Following a brief stop-over in New York City, doublehanded teams race a 240-mile leg to Newport, RI. The third and final leg consists of two days (May 24-25) of inshore racing in Newport with a crew of six. The team with the combined highest score from the three legs will be the Atlantic Cup Champion. The prize purse for the Atlantic Cup is $15,000.

The race is hosting a new program – Atlantic Cup Kids – to demonstrate the fun and excitement of sailing, safety at sea and the environment. Kids get the chance to meet the sailors in the race, check out the boats and learn what it takes to race offshore.

Before the start of the first leg, 120 students from the Charles Pickney Elementary School in Charleston, SC came to the boats to learn about offshore sailing and plastic pollution in our oceans. There were four stations set up and one station allowed the kids the opportunity to get on board the boats. The sailors had the kids spraying them down to mimic what it’s like to be sprayed offshore with waves and they even took one of the teachers up the rig to show them what it’s like to do a rig check.

Click here for images.

Source: Race media