Under a clear sky and bathed in sunshine, the second leg of the Atlantic Cup began today, marking a historic first for the competition. For the first time in the race’s history, teams will set sail from Newport, Rhode Island, and head to Portland, Maine, a notable shift from previous editions which had the fleet departing from New York.
The starting gun fired at 12 p.m. sharp off Fort Adams State Park, witnessed by enthusiastic spectators both onshore and afloat. A light northerly breeze combined with a flooding tide made for a picturesque start. The French team, La Manche Évidence Nautique, seized an early lead, closely pursued by Vogue Avec Un Crohn and Nestenn Entrepreneurs Pour La Planete. The teams deployed their spinnakers, creating a dazzling display as they sailed downwind out of the bay.
The 360-nautical-mile course requires teams to sail south from Newport, navigate a series of waypoints to avoid a whale breeding ground, and then turn north towards Portland. This leg promises to be challenging, with the expected weather conditions and distance ensuring minimal sleep for the sailors over the next 36 hours.
However, the day was not without its setbacks. USA 200, Scowling Dragon, has withdrawn from the race. Skippers Mike Hennessey and Roger Junet made the difficult decision following significant structural damage sustained during the Charleston-Newport leg.
Lennart Burke of Sign for Com, currently holding third place, commented on the leg ahead: “We are super excited but it will be really tricky. The weather conditions are not so clear and we don’t know what is coming exactly. But it will be a tough and short race, we have to push the boat a lot, a lot, a lot. We can’t save so much energy like in the first leg which was longer, so I’m happy to go and happy to fight and hopefully it works out.”
Atlantic Cup Race Director, Hugh Piggin, expressed his enthusiasm for the day’s events: “Today was another light air start, but it was downwind which was great to see. Everyone was able to get their spinnakers out over the start line on a beautiful day here in Rhode Island. La Manche [Évidence Nautique] led the clean start, taking off with a puff of wind and the rest of the fleet chasing behind them. The fleet is going to have light airs the rest of the day into this evening, so it will be very tough, competitive sailing for them to keep the boats moving and gaining advantage over their competitors. It was great to be back in Newport, it is one of the best places in the world to sail yachts, especially on beautiful sunny days like we have today.”
As the fleet heads north, the stage is set for an exciting and grueling leg of the Atlantic Cup, promising intense competition and stunning maritime scenery.
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