The Maine Sports Commission has announced the Atlantic Cup Sailing Race’s inaugural leg to Portland, Maine, from Charleston, South Carolina on June 6.
Manuka Sports Event Management announced today their plans to move the premier offshore race in the United States, The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing,to a biennial event. The 5th edition of the race will start May 28, 2016. As in the previous editions of the race, The Atlantic Cup will visit three iconic ports along the east coast of the United States.
Full information is available at this site: www.xssailing.com/category/atlantic-cup
The Atlantic Cup is the U.S.’ only short-handed offshore race dedicated to the Class 40. The race was created and designed to grow the audience for short-handed, offshore racing with hard fought competition and exciting shore based events while also being the most environmentally sustainable sailing race.
Manuka Sports Event Management Founder and Managing Partner, Hugh Piggin, stated, " The Atlantic Cup is the east coast’s [United States] longest offshore race with a large public and commercial component to it. After the fourth edition this past May, we at Manuka SEM, looked at various ways we could take the Atlantic Cup from where it is today to a significantly larger event. Manuka SEM decided to focus on a two-year cycle to continue to produce a first class event and time the race to coincide with the international sailing calendar. This will maximize the race experience for competitors, fans and sponsors.
11th Hour Racing, presenting sponsor of the Atlantic Cup, has been a supporter since the race’s inception and fully supports the decision to move to a two-year cycle. With 11th Hour’s help, the Atlantic Cup has become the leading example of an environmentally responsible sailing race. In 2016, The Atlantic Cup will continue to set the standard, implementing new and innovative solutions to enhance sailing performance, the race experience and protect the health of our waters.
As we look towards the future we are excited to grow the Atlantic Cup, while still providing a high quality, demanding race for the sailors and exciting event for the fans."
About The Atlantic Cup: The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing is the longest offshore race on the eastern seaboard of the United States. The Atlantic Cup started in 2011 as a concept event and grew to a multi-stage race with a focus on being the most environmentally responsible sailing race in the United States. The race is dedicated to the Class 40, a monohull race boat designed for shorthanded racing.
The Atlantic Cup has run annually in May from 2011 through 2014. The course in 2011 was a sprint from New York to Newport with an inshore series in Newport and was won by Cutlass Racing. From 2012-2014, the race was a three-stage event that started in Charleston, South Carolina. Competitors raced a 648 nautical mile offshore leg double-handed from Charleston around Cape Hatteras to New York City. From New York City, teams raced 231 nautical miles, south out of New York to a turning mark off the New Jersey coast before heading north to Newport. The third leg comprised of a two-day, inshore series with a crew of six in Narragansett Bay.
The winner of the 2012 edition was the German flagged boat, Mare, in 2013 Bodacious Dream from Jamestown, RI won the overall race and in 2014, Gryphon Solo 2 from Newport, RI took home first place. For more on the Atlantic Cup and its sustainability initatives, visit AtlanticCup.org
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