Atlantic Cup announces launch plans, green initiatives

by Jeff Pomeroy on 25 Apr 2013 The 2013 Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing announced today its final plans and competition field for the third running of the premier U.S. Class 40 sailing event in the country. The event will feature seven boats; six from the USA and one from Great Britain.

Teams will set sail from Charleston, S.C. on Saturday, May 11 at 2 p.m. EDT on a 648 nautical mile race to New York Harbor for the second leg of the competition and a Pro-Am event (May 14 - 17) before departing on May 18 at 2 p.m. EDT on a 231 nautical mile final leg of competition. The annual event culminates in Newport, R.I. with two days of Inshore racing (May 25 – 26).

Teams confirmed to compete in The 2013 Atlantic Cup include:

#39	Pleiad Racing	USA	Ed Cesare (Norwalk, CT) and Chad Corning (Larchmont, NY)
#54	Dragon	USA	Michael Hennessy (New York, NY) and Rob Windsor (New York, NY)
#90	40 Degreese	GBR	Hannah Jenner (GB) and Peter Harding (GB)
#106	Gryphon Solo 2	USA	Joe Harris (Boston, MA) and Tristan Mouligne (Newport, RI)
#116	Icarus Racing	USA	Tim Fetsch (Charleston, SC) and Ben Poucher (Newport, RI)
#118	Bodacious Dream	USA	Dave Rearick (Chesterton, IN) and Matt Scharl (Chicago, IL)
#121	Lecoq Cuisine	USA	Eric Lecoq (Bridgeport, CT) and Conrad Coleman (Auckland, NZ)

The 2013 Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing will once aim to minimize its carbon footprint. The carbon footprint of the race will be calculated by Green Mountain Energy Company in a post-race assessment. Carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates (RECs) will be used in order to offset emissions associated with the event, such as staff air travel, ground and water transportation, staff hotel stays, and event electricity usage. Additionally, throughout the 2013 multi-city event the teams will use biodiesel hydro generators, solar panels and fuel cells to limit the use of fuel during the competition. Organizers will eliminate the use of single-use plastic bottles in their hospitality villages and teams will eliminate the use of plastic water bottles on-board their boats.

The Atlantic Cup, in a partnership agreement with 11th Hour Racing and Green Mountain Energy Company, last year became the first carbon-neutral sailing race in the US by offsetting an estimated 23,030 pounds (10.45 metric tons) of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. Sailors for the Sea certified the Atlantic Cup Gold in 2012 and for 2013 SfS is unveiling a new Platinum level certification. Following a series of guidelines provided by SfS the Atlantic Cup will strive for platinum level status.

Quote from Hugh Piggin, Manuka Sports Event Management founder and Atlantic Cup Race Director – 'With a growing American fleet and two of the top international Class 40 sailors racing in this year’s Atlantic Cup; the competition is going to be very close. In addition, after a tough winter and heavy hurricane season that affected two of the three cities we will visit, our environmental commitment has become even more relevant and we are proud to be continuing our efforts to raise awareness and demonstrate that making small changes to how we organize and run our race can make a great impact over time.'

Some additional 2013 Atlantic Cup highlights include:

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 Charleston (Saturday, May 11, 2 p.m. ET), 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.).

The Atlantic Cup is extending its education outreach by partnering with the Rozalia Project. Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean’s mission is to find and remove marine debris, from the surface to the sea floor, through action, technology, outreach and research. During the Atlantic Cup, Rozalia will be on site underwater trash-hunting with the ROV and educating children in grades 3 - 12 about marine debris, which will include the opportunity for students to get on board the Class 40s and meet some of the skippers. Rozalia Project is unique and action based taking trash out of the water, rather than just pointing at it, and operating nationwide from docks and shorelines. They connect people of all ages to their underwater world and inspire them to be part of the solution by using underwater robots (ROVs) and sonar as well as nets to locate and remove marine debris.

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.

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.

On Thursday, May 23, newportFILM in association with the Atlantic Cup will present a screening of The Last Ocean, an environmental documentary from New Zealand filmmaker Peter Young at the Casino Theater in Newport. Do you know where the Ross Sea is? Six years in the making and completed late last year, the documentary celebrates the Ross Sea, Antarctica, regarded as the most pristine eco-system on Earth. It also chronicles the race to protect it before it is destroyed by commercial fishing. A breathtaking look at one of the last untouched places on the planet, this film is not to be missed. Double Cross Vodka cocktail reception from 6-7, with the movie starting at 7pm. Tickets can be purchased online at www.newportfilm.com [Sorry, this link had a problem]port_Film [Sorry, this link had a problem].

www.AtlanticCup.org!Atlantic_Cup_website [Sorry, this link had a problem]