2011 Atlantic Cup

[MLovett]

Oct. 2010

The Atlantic Cup is Officially Announced!

THE ATLANTIC CUP


Manuka Sports Event Management is excited to announce The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing. The Atlantic Cup is a brand new Class40 sailing race that will kick off from New York Harbor May 7th, 2011. From there competitors will sprint double-handed to sailing hub, historic, Newport, Rhode Island. There will be a $15,000 prize purse, which is one of the largest purses for professional sailing in the United States.

The 2011 race will showcase the top Class40 sailors in the U.S. as they sprint double-handed the 240 nautical mile offshore course. Winning the distance race alone won’t be enough to be crowned Atlantic Cup Champion. Once in Newport, skippers will have to race a two-day, inshore series with a crew of six. The combined overall winner of both stages will be the very first Atlantic Cup Champion.

The Atlantic Cup is excited to have 11th Hour Racing as the presenting sponsor. 11th Hour Racing’s mission is to sail fast, promoting sustainable practices on our oceans. 11th Hour Racing‚Äôs program director, Jeremy Pochman said, ‚ÄùWe‚Äôre very much looking forward to being a part of The Atlantic Cup and we hope the race will sail fast, making our waters cleaner one degree at a time.”

To minimize our impact during this event, The Atlantic Cup will be run as a ‘Clean Regatta’ utilizing hydro-generators and bio diesel to power the race boats. Clean Regattas is a program of Sailors for the Sea, a nonprofit organization that educates and empowers boaters to protect and restore our oceans and coastal waters. More information can be found at www.sailorsforthesea.org.

Founder and Managing Partner of Manuka Sports Event Management, Hugh Piggin, stated, “The 2011 Atlantic Cup will be the first annual race Manuka plans to produce with the goal of promoting and growing the sport of professional offshore sailing in the United States. There is a terrific base of short-handed sailors right here and we want to give them an opportunity to showcase their skills.”

Atlantic Cup Race Facts
· Open to Class40 boats
· Race double-handed from New York to Newport, RI
· Depart New York Harbor May 7, 2011
· One day of Pro-Am racing held May 6, 2011 in New York Harbor
· Two days inshore fully crewed racing the weekend of May 14 in Newport
· Hospitality party on the start line in New York
· Finish Party and prize giving in Newport
· $15,000 prize purse

[MLovett]

The Atlantic Cup Presented by 11th Hour Racing Announces Two New Entries and Chief Race Officer

Newport, Rhode Island – March 29th 2011 – The Atlantic Cup, presented by 11th Hour Racing, a new, professional Class40 race showcasing the top short-handed sailors in the U.S., is pleased to announce Cutlass and Kamoa’e as the latest entries into the race. Along with the new entries, Anderson Reggio has been appointed Chief Race Officer.

Cutlass, a part of Team 11th Hour Racing, will be sailed by Nick Halmos and Rob MacMillan. Team 11th Hour is a division of 11th Hour Racing, the presenting sponsor for The Atlantic Cup. As part of Team 11th Hour, Cutlass will compete in a schedule of prominent ocean racing events while developing techniques and technologies that further reduce the environmental impacts of sailing and help preserve the oceans for future generations.

Nick Halmos brings with him a wide range of experience racing all types of boats both off shore and in shore. He was the captain of the Brown University sailing team and campaigned his Melges in North America and Europe. Since he began racing Cutlass four years ago, Nick has been a dominant force in the North American fleet, with wins in the Bermuda One-Two and Marblehead-Halifax Race. His co-skipper Rob Macmillan lives in Newport with his wife and two young children. Rob has a strong background in crewed racing, but is just getting involved in short-handed off shore racing. His tactical strengths and technical knowledge of boat set up and sail trim will make Cutlass is a formidable competitor.

The second entry is Kamoa’e sailed by Eric Lecoq and Dominique Rivoalan. Lecoq has been a strong competitor in the east coast short-handed scene for many years and like Halmos, Lecoq has campaigned Kamoa’e on the East Coast for the past four years. Lecoq’s co-skipper Dominique Rivoalan, has years of experience preparing and racing off shore boats. Both Lecoq and Rivoalan are expat Frenchmen and bring with them the sprit and wisdom of the long French passion for short-handed racing. Eric and Dominique will be looking for a strong performance on which to launch their trans-Atlantic and European campaign.

Race Director, Hugh Piggin, discussing both entries stated, “We at The Atlantic Cup are extremely excited for both Cutlass and Kamoa’e to be competing in the inaugural edition of the race. Both boats are very competitive and their skippers are extremely talented and they will certainly prove to be tough competition.”

Additionally, Newport native and long time sailor and race official Anderson Reggio will be the Chief Race Officer (CRO) for the event. Anderson has been involved with race management for over a decade, working at events ranging from dinghies at the local level to world championships for classes such as Farr 40′s and J80′s. A life long racer, Anderson still competes often and finds his racing experience has allowed him to become a better Race Officer. Says Anderson, “Understanding how competitors think is vital to running a good event.” Additionally, when not racing or working on the race management side, Anderson can often be found umpiring team and match races in his home-town of Newport, RI. His involvement in the sport on multiple levels is key to his being the right fit for The Atlantic Cup.

About The Atlantic Cup
Manuka Sports Event Management, LLC created the Atlantic Cup to provide a top-level premier sailing race in the United States. The goal is to produce a hard fought, intense sailing competition featuring the top U.S. and international short-handed sailors. The race will be surrounded by entertaining, engaging events that will engage the casual fan’s interest and grow a new generation of sailing fans and enthusiasts.

• Presented by 11th Hour Racing
• Open to Class40 boats
• $15,000 prize purse
• Run under Sailors for the Sea ‘Clean Regattas guidelines
• Boats will use hydro-generators and bio-diesel for power
• One day of Pro-Am racing held May 6, 2011 in New York Harbor
• Depart New York Harbor May 7, 2011
• Race double-handed from New York to Newport
• Off-shore course is approximately 260 nautical miles
• Two days inshore fully crewed buoy racing held over the weekend of May 14 in Newport, RI
• Hospitality party on the start line in New York
• Finish Party and prize giving in Newport at Newport Shipyard


www.AtlanticCup.org

[MLovett]

May 2

Five Days until the start of the 2011 Atlantic Cup Presented by 11th Hour Racing

The Atlantic Cup <http://www.AtlanticCup.org/> , presented by 11th Hour Racing, a new, Class40 race showcasing the top short-handed sailors in the U.S., starts in six days – May 7th - from New York City. Below are some facts going into this week about the race and what the race organizers have in store.

Four confirmed entries:
1. Cutlass/Team 11th Hour – sailed by Rob MacMillan and Ryan Finn

2. Dragon – sailed by Michael Hennessy and Rob Windsor

3. Kamoa’e – sailed by Eric LeCoq and Dominique Rivoalan

4. Toothface – sailed by Mike Dreese and Ken Luczynski


There is a tentative fifth entry:
5. Icarus – sailed by Ben Poucher and Tim Fetsch

a. Poucher and Fetsch have been actively searching for funding to campaign a boat since November of 2010. They secured funding in early April, but have faced numerous challenges in securing a Class40. A boat just became available late Sunday (May 1) and they are endeavoring to get her on the start line for Saturday.


Starting Tuesday, Jessica Sweeney will be The Atlantic Cup’s “Weather Girl”. Jess will provide a race weather preview on Tuesday and a full weather forecast on Friday. You will be able to find her forecasts on the Atlantic Cup homepage. Jess hails from Australia and sailed on the Class40 Concise last summer and was part of the winning crew for the Round Britain Ireland race. Jess is now pursuing her Masters in Meteorology at the University of Reading. In addition to studying and giving weather updates for The Atlantic Cup, Jess is one of the Camper Volvo Ocean Race researchers for navigation support.

The Atlantic Cup’s official charitable partner is the Boomer Esiason Foundation. The Boomer Esiason Foundation fights cystic fibrosis and in conjunction with them, The Atlantic Cup is running a raffle for a chance to win a trip to Newport, RI the weekend of May 13-15. The winner receives a 2-night hotel stay at Forty 1 North, a full-luxury hotel in the heart of Newport, a trip out on a chase boat to watch the racing and tickets to the prize giving. The raffle closes at midnight on May 7th so entries must be submitted before then. The site to enter is:
http://esiason.org/index.php/bef/sig...1_atlantic_cup

IONEarth will provide real-time race tracking for The Atlantic Cup. IONEarth has tracked some of the most extreme races including The Alaskan Iditarod Sled Dog Race and the Baja 1000 Off-Road Race. Tracking will be displayed via the traditional map and also through a very unique dashboard for each individual boat where users will see a specialized dashboard that details: True Wind Angle, True Wind Speed, Heading, Distance to Finish and Boat Speed. The Atlantic Cup is the first off shore sailing race to offer data from the boats in real-time and also display it in a format that is attractive and easily understandable.

Kwokman Productions, a sports and entertainment production company headquartered just outside of Los Angeles, with a second office in Chicago will be filming the Atlantic Cup and turning around in-depth features on all teams and recaps of the race. All footage will be viewable on the Media pagea of The Atlantic Cup website and on The Atlantic Cup’s YouTube channel. Kwokman’s recent success stories include multiple accolades for its involvement with Monday Night Football, being awarded bids for various government campaigns and integrating its work with various marketing campaigns for clients worldwide.

Renowned sailing photographer, Billy Black will be covering the race in New York andNewport and photos will be viewable on the Atlantic Cup website.

Throughout the race The Atlantic Cup Twitter and Facebook feeds will have hourly updates from all boats throughout the off-shore and in-shore races.

[MLovett]

May 9

Dragon wins off-shore leg in Inaugural Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing


Attention turns to In-shore Series May 14-15 in Newport, RI

Newport, RI – Under the backdrop of the Manhattan Skyline, with over 100 spectators at the Thomson Reuters race start line, The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing <http://www.atlanticcup.org> took off in lightconditions on Saturday, May 7th. As part of Sailors for the Sea's Clean Regattas <http://www.cleanregattas.org> certification for the race, the boats sailed the course using bio-diesel, hydro-generators, solar power, and reusable water bottles.

Team Dragon crossed the finish line at 9:23pm ET Sunday, May 8 with an elapsed time of 30:48:44 to capture first in the off-shore leg of the Atlantic Cup. The race was a back and forth with five lead changes and the top three finishers completing the race within 1 hour 17 minutes of each other.

The Atlantic Cup off-shore course took the fleet out of New York Harbor Saturday afternoon south to the only turning mark on the course at Barnegat Light and from the turn boats headed straight to Newport, RI. The start of the race was in light air and saw Team Cutlass cross the line first. Team Icarus took the False Hook Channel out of New York Harbor and was the only boat to do so and in taking that route they were able to get a jump on the competition and arrive at the turning mark off Barnegat Light first. However, after Team Icarus broke a halyard on their Code 0, they saw their lead dwindle and slowly the competition over took them. As daylight rose on Sunday morning, Team Cutlass/11th Hour Racing, Dragon and Toothface all followed a similar course and traded the lead throughout the morning. Team Icarus chose a more northern route and hugged the Long Island Coast, which ultimately proved to be costly and they fell further and further back from the fleet.

With a win in the off-shore leg of the Atlantic Cup, Mike Hennessy and Rob Windsor were thrilled to have arrived first after a questionable start to the race, “I think everyone suffered at different points during the race, we suffered before the gun, we were a little far north of the line, caught a no wind and headed in the wrong direction,” said Skipper Mike Hennessy. After the start, Team Dragon made up ground and going into Sunday morning they were in a close second with Team Cutlass/11th Hour Racing when they ran into a light air patch. They tactically decided to get some separation from their competition and go to the west of Block Island and that decision paid off, said Skipper Rob Windsor, “once we got to Point Judith and I had to use binoculars to see the next boat behind us, I knew we were pretty good.”

Team Cutlass/11th Hour Racing crossed second with an elapsed time of 31:38:07. For most of Sunday, Team Cutlass/11th Hour Racing was leading the fleet by close to 13 nautical miles. However, their good fortune turned when they got to Block Island and chose to go the eastern side of the Island. Skipper Rob MacMillan explained his decision, “Basically just based on wind I was a little terrified of the current to the western side and I didn’t think there was going to be as much wind based on the direction the wind was coming from, which was due east. As we approached Block we kept getting headed…and that made our easy decision kind of difficult and at that point we saw Dragon which was kind of was, uh, a Holy Cow moment.”

Team Toothface finished just 27 minutes after Team Cutlass/11th Hour Racing with an elapsed time of 32:05:22. Skipper Mike Dreese on the off-shore leg said, “I just thought it was amazing, the venue was unbelievable…and you’re racing past the Statue of Liberty, it doesn’t get any better than that, then for us to come home to Newport where we race out of all the time was reallyfun. I think that the organization, to see the ambition, to have a high quality, credible, exciting format be birthed and to be part of that first race, to me, I think I’m going to look back, [and say] I’m really glad we did this race.”

The final team to cross the line was Team Icarus coming in early Monday morningwith an overall elapsed time of 38:42:20. Team Icarus faced a number of hurdles just making it to the start line as up until one week ago they did not have a boat. In addition to having a dated set of sails, their boat was in poor condition with many electrical malfunctions. However, Skippers Ben Poucher and Tim Fetsch took a number of tactical risks throughout the race to make up for their less than speedy boat. Said Skipper Ben Poucher, “We knew from the beginning we were going to have to take some risks to compete. We’re not going to have enough speed with the sails we have and we don’t know the boat that well so the only way to make any gains is to take risks and the first risk we took really paid off.” Their second risk, hugging the coast of Long Island did not pay off as well and they watch what was once a 6nm lead disappear to a gaping 40 mile deficit.

Attention now turns to the in-shore series, which will be held Saturday and Sunday May 14-15 in Newport, RI. Teams will use a crew of six for the three races heldeach day. Inshore races are weighted less in points, however any of the teams could see their current position change dramatically. The overall lowest point scorer will win The Atlantic Cup.

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Quick Facts About The Atlantic Cup

Presented by 11th Hour Racing <mailto:http://www.atlanticcup.org/11th-hour-racing-2>
11th Hour Racing’s establishes a dynamic new platform for public education about the responsible use of energy and resources in the context of an exciting recreational and competitive sport. The use of hydro-generators and bio-diesel in the boats competing in the Atlantic Cup is a direct result of 11th Hour’s commitment to the environment.
New York City events are hosted by Thomson Reuters <mailto:http://thomsonreuters.com/>
Atlantis Weather Gear <mailto:http://www.awgevents.com/categories/Atlantic-Cup/> is the official apparel provider
The Newport Shipyard <mailto:http://www.newportshipyard.com/indexAtlanticCup2011.asp> is the official Newport home of the Atlantic Cup
Boomer Esiason Foundation <mailto:http://esiason.org/index.php/bef/signature_event/2011_atlantic_cup> is the Atlantic Cup’s Official Charitable Partner
Run under Sailors for the Sea <mailto:http://sailorsforthesea.org/> ‘Clean Regattas guidelines
Using canteen water bottles on the boats while racing and set up and maintain water filling stations during the event
Using environmentally friendly cleaning products on all boats
Recycling at all sites during the race
Recycling by all boats when completing the off-shore and in-shore portion of the race
Using biodegradable plastic throughout the race including at pre and post-race parties and dinners
Using 100% post-consumer recycled paper for all event packets
Organizing a green team to maintain a trash-free site at both hospitality events
Preventing discharge of untreated sewage or black water in harbor areas and on race courses throughout the event
Asking all race participants to use water only when washing down their boats during the course of the regatta
Open to Class40 boats
$15,000 prize purse
One day of Pro-Am racing held May 6, 2011 in New York Harbor
Depart New York Harbor May 7, 2011
Race double-handed from New York to Newport
Off-shore course is approximately 260 nautical miles
Two days inshore fully crewed buoy racing held over the weekend of May 14 in Newport, RI
Hospitality party on the start line in New York
Finish Party and prize giving in Newport at Newport Shipyard on May 15

[MLovett]

Icarus teams up with All-American Offshore Team for Inshore Races

In the Inaugural Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing

May 11, 2011 - Newport, RI – Skippers Ben Poucher and Tim Fetsch of Team Icarus, announced today that they will team up with the All-American Offshore Team <http://allamericanoffshoreteam.org/> (AAOT) for the inshore series in The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing <http://www.atlanticcup.org> . The AAOT, an extension of the non-profit U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) Sailing Foundation, which gives opportunities for young cadets at the Academy to experience sailboat racing. Additionally, the Foundation is committed to providing “high-performance offshore training opportunities for an upcoming generation of American ocean racing leaders.”

Icarus is one of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy boats and was donated to the Academy approximately three weeks ago and prior to that she hadn’t been sailed in two years. Upon acquiring Icarus, Ralf Steitz, the president of the USMMA Sailing Foundation heard about Skippers Ben Poucher and Tim Fetsch’s active search to campaign a boat for the Atlantic Cup and he generously allowed Icarus to be put into racing condition and used by the young duo. With only five days to putIcarus together and get her to the start line in New York, Ben and Tim didn’t have the same amount of prep time as the other teams and attribute that to being the final team to cross the finish line in the offshore leg arriving Monday morning with an overall elapsed time of 38:42:20.

As they turn their attention to the inshore series, they have their sights set on capturing a podium finish this weekend. Said Skipper, Ben Poucher, “we are very grateful for this opportunity that Ralf and the Academy gave us and we’re looking forward to winning this weekend when we team up with the All-American Offshore Team.”
Rounding out the crew of six for Team Icarus will be USMMA Sailing Foundation President Ralf Steitz,AAOT Team Members Emerson Smith, Patrick O’Connor and a still to be named team member. While Steitz’s current role as Foundation President has him campaigning the boats donated to the USMMA Sailing Foundation, he has an impressive resume of inshore racing experience. Steitz was mid-bowman for the AmericaOne America’s Cup campaign in 2003 and sailed with Stars & Stripes for its 1992 and 1995 America’s Cup campaigns. His sailing experience includes match racing and fleet racing aboard Maxi Yachts and 50 footers. Steitz has also sailed in the worldwide grand-prix circuit as trimmer on the Farr 40 Solution and foredeck on the Farr 40 Infinity.

The inshore series for the Atlantic Cup takes place Saturday and Sunday May 14-15 in Narragansett Bay. Race organizers are anticipating running approximatelyfour races Saturday and two on Sunday depending on conditions. Inshore races are weighted less in points, however any of the teams could see their current position change dramatically. Currently the standings are: 1st – Dragon, 2nd – Cutlass/11th Hour Racing, 3rd – Toothface, 4th – Icarus. The overall lowest point scorer will win The Atlantic Cup and claim a portion of the $15,000 prize purse.