The Atlantic Cup is finally here!
Presented by 11th Hour Racing, the 2nd Annual Atlantic Cup, featuring a fleet of 15 red-hot Class 40 racers, begins this evening in Charleston, South Carolina.
The series includes a combination of both inshore and offshore competition. The first leg is a double-handed race from Charleston to New York. After a brief stopover, teams will then sail from New York to Newport, Rhode Island. Once they reach Newport, crews of six will compete in a two-day inshore grand prix regatta.
The combination of offshore and inshore racing will showcase the sailors’ mastery of two very different sailing disciplines. The winning crew will have to be a versatile one able to adjust its technique for drastically different racing conditions.
To keep things interesting, an impressive $30,000 in prize money is up for grabs—which may explain the impressive growth in the size of the fleet, which more then tripled from the four boats that competed in 2011.
Of course, having Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, Double Cross Vodka and Pyrat Rums among the event’s many sponsors probably didn’t hurt either!
The second leg is scheduled to start May 19. The last stage, the inshore race, will run May 26 and 27. For complete race information, click here.
