by Julianna Barbieri
With a fleet of seven Class 40s competing in The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing #121 Bodacious Dream, skippered by Dave Rearick and Matt Scharl, crossed the finish line first at 21:06:15 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 USA’s Bodacious Dream finish 8 minutes 28 seconds ahead of #121 Lecoq Cuisine (79:09:43), followed by the English team of #90 40 Degrees (79:56:12).
The race began at 2:05 p.m. on Saturday, May 11th from the Charleston Maritime Center with international competitors from the USA, France, Great Britain and New Zealand competing extremely closely for the three-day, first leg. The teams left Charleston harbor with #116 Icarus jumping out in front of the fleet for the second year in a row with the best start. While tightly packed together, the fleet experienced severe the weather the first night that included heavy lightning and thunderheads with sustained winds of 25kts and a confused sea state. After rounding Cape Hatteras the fleet was mostly in agreement to heads towards shore as the forecast called for a wind hole and the land breeze would keep them moving. The critical point in the race came at the timing of the gybe in towards shore and those that picked right established a small lead and the challenge was to defend the rest of the way. The leading four teams traded positions in the run up to New York where ultimately first through fourth were separated by a mere 1 hour and 26 minutes.
“The race was pretty intense and as we all thought ahead of time it was a very tactical type thing, we had a lot of intense tactics. Matt had some great calls and some great time spent playing out different scenarios,” said Bodacious Dream skipper Dave Rearick.
“We worked really well as a team, I was not feeling very well for the first 24 hours and Dave really carried the load initially and I feel really good right now so we were able to trade off as a team and it worked out really well, it’s probably the best team race we’ve had since we’ve started, “said Bodacious Dream co-skipper Matt Scharl.
40 Degrees approaches the finish with the Statue of Liberty in the background. Image copyright Juliana Barbieri
PROVISIONAL RESULTS FROM THE FIRST LEG OF THE 2012 ATLANTIC CUP: TIME POINTS
1. #118 Bodacious Dream – USA (Dave Rearick, Matt Scharl) 79:01:15 14points
2. #121 Lecoq Cuisine – USA (Eric Lecoq, Conrad Colman) 79:09:43 12
3. #90 40 Degrees – GBR (Hannah Jenner, Peter Harding) 79:
4. #116 Icarus Racing – USA (Tim Fetsch, Ben Poucher) 80:27:36 8
5. #106 Gryphon Solo 2 – USA (Joe Harris, Tristan Mougline) 81:02:29 6
6. #54 Dragon – USA (Michael Hennessy, Merf Owen) 81:06:57 4
7. #39 Pleiad Racing – USA (Ed Cesare, Chad Corning) 83:08:00 2
Third to finish - 40 Degrees - with Hannah Jenner and Peter Harding. Image copyright Juliana Barbieri
SCORING SYSTEM
Points & Prize Money
Scoring for the 2013 Atlantic Cup will be based upon a “High Point” scoring system. Each boat’s overall score will equal the total points earned in both offshore legs plus points earned from the inshore races. At the conclusion of the event, the boat with the total highest score will be declared the winner.
To determine the podium winners, the “High Point” scoring system combines all three legs of the race into the boat’s overall score. The points for individual race scores are based upon the number of entrants (unless disqualified or retiring after finishing). The points for each leg are allotted as follows; 1st place will be awarded points equal to the number of entrants, 2nd place points equal the number of entrants minus 1, 3rd place points equal the number of entrants minus 2, 4th place points equal the number of entrants minus 3, and so on.
For two the offshore legs, points awarded will be weighted by a factor of 2. For each inshore series, points will be weighted by a factor of one. The inshore series will consist of a maximum of five races, should four or less inshore races be completed; all races will count toward the boat’s overall score. If five inshore series are completed, a boats overall score will consist of the four best inshore races. In the event of a score tie between two or more boats, the tie will be broken in favor of the boat with the most points earned amongst the two offshore legs.
The competitors have a chance to win prize money in all portions of the race. The $15,000 purse will be split between the three legs with $5,000 available per leg. The prize money for each leg will be divided as follows: 1stwill receive $2,000, 2nd, $1,500, 3rd, $1,000 and 4th place receives $500.
Icarus Racing finished fourth. Image copyright Juliana Barbieri
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 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.).
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.
Bodacious Dream ghosting across the finishing line at the NYC. Image copyright Juliana Barbieri
About The 2013 Atlantic Cup
The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th 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 11th 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.
