Due to low visibility, day two of coastal racing was abandoned; cementing the overall rankings from yesterday
The Italian team #204 Acrobatica, helmed by Alberto Riva and Jean Marre, completed a dominant two-week run, securing the 2024 Atlantic Cup Championship. Their first-place finish in the Coastal Series yesterday sealed their victory for the overall Atlantic Cup. However, the points standings for the rest of the podium were far from decided heading into today. Unfortunately, the final course of coastal racing was abandoned due to low visibility from foggy conditions. As a result, yesterday’s cumulative standings remained, with the French duo of Pierre-Louis Atwell and Maxime Bensa on #195 Vogue Avec Un Crohn narrowly securing second-place by a mere half-point. #177 Everial’s Erwan Le Draoulec and Tanguy Leglatin rounded out the podium in third place overall.
After claiming first place in the first leg (Charleston, S.C. to Newport, R.I.), second leg (Newport to Portland, M.E.), and day one of the third leg (Coastal Series), Acrobatica becomes just the second team in Atlantic Cup history to win each leg of the competition, following the 2016 Spanish team Tales II. This achievement is a testament to the world-class skill and dominance of Riva and Marre.
“This was a really great adventure,” said Alberto Riva, Skipper of Acrobatica. “With the different conditions of each stage of the race, we learned a lot about the boat and ourselves. All of the competitors are really good and we are really happy with the result and to sail here and discover these amazing new places.”
Jean Marre, Co-Skipper of Acrobatica, echoed the sentiment: “We love to sail so it is a bit of a pity not racing today, but we are still really happy that we won. It was a lot of fun, it was a great race. We both hope to be back at the next edition. All parts of the race were very interesting. The first leg was impressive with the Gulf Stream and storms, the second leg was competitive with the fleet close by, and the inshore race had no room for mistakes. It was an all-around good race.”
Pierre-Louis Atwell, Skipper of Vogue Avec Un Crohn, reflected on their performance: “We didn’t sail today, but since we did well yesterday, we are second overall. We are very happy, it is our best result in a Class40 race. At the beginning of the season, we were not doing great, but now we are in a good place. Heading into the Québec Saint-Malo, we hope to continue to learn and experience more from this incredible boat.”
Erwan Le Draoulec, Skipper of Everial, shared his thoughts on finishing third: “We are really happy to be on the podium. The Niji40 was not good for us, so I am very happy for Everial. Second place was close, and we really wanted it. The race was fun and special to be in the U.S. We take a lot of pleasure in it and hope to be back at the next Atlantic Cup.”
The Atlantic Cup, the longest offshore sailing race in the Western Atlantic and the most environmentally sustainable sailing race in the U.S., showcased an international fleet of eight teams representing five countries: the USA, Canada, Italy, France, and Germany. The teams set sail from Charleston, S.C. on May 25, stopped in Newport, R.I. on May 28, before departing on June 1 for the third and final leg of the competition held in Portland, Maine from June 3-6.
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