Atlantic Cup Yacht Race Comes to Newport

If you’ve strolled along Bowen’s Wharf or had a cocktail at the Landing recently, you probably noticed a few extra flags and sailboats lining the docks. They look almost as wide as they are long, have rigs taller than the schooners and yet are raced by two people. These amazing boats are called Class 40s and they have just arrived this past Monday in Newport in a race from New York. Previous to that, they raced from Charleston, SC to the Big Apple around Cape Hatteras, the most treacherous route of sailing on the eastern seaboard.

Those two offshore races, and two inshore competitions in New York and Newport, make up the Atlantic Cup. As it stands, Bodacious Dream is the current leader with 28 points and close behind is Lecoq Cuisine with 24 points. The Cup is still up for grabs going into the final race in Newport this Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm. The best viewing will be from Fort Adams, where the start line will be set, with live commentary to get everyone in on the action. For more information on the Atlantic Cup itself, steer yourself to http://atlanticcup.org/

I will be blogging more about the boats, racers and results this weekend, so check back often!