Around Jamestown Record - Icarus Racing first off the mark

by Julianna Barbieri on 15 Jun 2012 Icarus Racing, sponsored by Bermuda law firm Trott and Duncan, set the benchmark for the Around Jamestown Record today.

The crew started at 1:25:18 just off Fort Adams and completed the attempt with an elapsed time of 2 hours 49 minutes and 37 seconds. The team chose to sail the course in a clockwise direction.

Icarus, a Class 40 recently finished ninth overall in the 2012 Atlantic Cup and is due to start the Newport-Bermuda Race tomorrow. With a day of practice scheduled for the team, the crew of six chose to use the Around Jamestown Record for their training day. The crew included: Skipper Amanda Mochrie, Tom Knight, David Narchella, Henry Tucker and Somers Kempe all from Bermuda and Ben Poucher of Newport, RI. Poucher was one of the skippers for Icarus in the Atlantic Cup, while Kempe is the Vice Commodore of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.

In addition to setting the outright record benchmark, Icarus also set the benchmark for the ‘Monohull Keel Boat Less than 50 Feet Division’. If by September 30, no other team in any division bests Icarus’ elapsed time, Icaurs will own the Around Jamestown Record and Skipper Amanda Mochrie will win her weight in Mount Gay Rum.

The Around Jamestown Record, presented in association with Café Zelda, Mount Gay Rum and Doublecross Vodka is a perpetual all out record for sailing around Conanicut Island (also known as Jamestown) in lower Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.

Similar to other outright speed records, contenders will decide when they to make a record attempt and also the direction in which they will sail around Jamestown. This means contenders can choose the most advantageous weather conditions and tidal flow in which to attempt the record.

Four categories of sailing boats will be recognized to vie for divisional honors with the overall perpetual trophy going to the boat with the outright fastest time.

The four divisions recognized are:
• Monohull keel boats greater than or equal to 50 feet
• Monohull keel boats less than 50 feet
• Mulithull boats greater than 20 feet
• All other sailing craft

The record will be open during the summer months from Memorial Day, May 28th, 2012 until September 30th, 2012 during the hours of daylight.

The yacht that wins the outright record will be awarded Mount Gay Rum equal to the Skipper’s weight.

A portion of each entry fee will go to benefit the Boomer Esiason Foundation and their fight against Cystic Fibrosis and Newport’s community sailing center, Sail Newport.

www.AroundJamestownRecord.com