Rambler 100 has been averaging close to 20 knots and with just under 2000 miles to go is predicted to finish on the 10th of June. The Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed 100’ canting keel maxi is on course to set an exceptional benchmark for a transatlantic.

“Great sailing, so far, aboard Rambler 100,” said navigator Peter Isler (San Diego, Calif.), confirming by satellite link that Rambler 100 is fully in the groove. “By our calculations we did a 464-mile 24-hour run from the start. That's a 19.3 knot average! Great sailing for sure. We've had basically the same sail combination up since turning the corner at Nantucket Shoals.”

On the water Rambler 100’s nearest competitor is PUMA's mar mostro, skippered by Ken Read (Newport, R.I.). PUMA has taken up a slightly more northerly position and is in good breeze, however, the Point Alpha ice gate is looming and the Volvo 70 may need to alter course towards the east to leave the mark of the course to port. Nearly one hundred miles behind Rambler 100, ICAP Leopard, skippered by Clarke Murphy (New York, N.Y.), is south of the rhumb line and enjoying better breeze than the two rivals in front. Even at this early stage in the race, it looks as though Rambler 100 will take the spoils -- as long as they do not suffer any major gear failure.

The Oakcliff All American Offshore Team, racing aboard the Reichel Pugh-designed Vanquish, is under no illusions about the quality of the opposition, but the experience is a massive education for the young team, as they explained in their blog:

“We obviously have our work cut out for us, but morale is great and everyone’s just happy to be out here. Winds and waves are forecasted to build over the next 24 hours as the low we left Newport in slides further to the North and compresses with the Atlantic High to the Southwest. Twenty-five knots on the quarter should make things a little more interesting!”

Meanwhile in IRC Class Two, front-runner Jazz, skippered by Nigel King (Lymington, U.K.), is trying to hit a moving target. The Cookson 50 has altered course north, aiming for a low-pressure system, and, if Jazz can connect with it, this will result in high wind speeds from a very favorable direction. This move north also avoids an area of little wind to the south of Jazz. The German Rogers 46s, Shakti and Varuna, have been unable to take this northerly route as they have remained south to pass the ice gate, and it will be interesting to see if they follow Jazz.

In IRC Class Three, Zaraffa, skippered by Huntington Sheldon (Shelburne, Vt.) is still the class leader. Ambersail’s move south saw the Lithuanian crew make up good ground, however, the advance was short lived. Ahead of Ambersail lies an area of little wind and they should make the move north, effectively sideways, to get into pressure.

In IRC Class Four, Carina, skippered by Rives Potts, Jr. (Essex, Conn.), has been the star of the show. In the last 24 hours, however, their competition has most definitely caught up some miles. Carina chose a southerly route, while the Army Sailing Association’s British Soldier, among others, stayed to the north. British Soldier has advanced 30 miles on Carina, but the American team is still over 170 miles ahead.

Ned Collier-Wakefield’s (Oxford, U.K.) Concise 2 is currently 60 miles ahead of Dragon, skippered by Mike Hennessy (Mystic, Conn.). The two Class 40s have been enjoying some fast-reaching conditions and are now fully offshore many miles from land.

“Dragon passed the longitude of Point Alpha and now the next mark of the course is Lizard Point, a mere 1800 miles down the road,” reported Hennessy in a message revealing his thoughts as they head out into the Atlantic. “Funny enough, our entire race thus far has been within about 100 miles of land. Now we are heading off into that big open space in between, the wild blue yonder. See you on the other side.”

There are some highly amusing blogs and uplifting commentary coming from the racecourse. Crossing the Atlantic on sail power is a life-changing experience and the race blogs bring those feelings to life for a worldwide audience.

“Life onboard is going well and the boat is looking tidy and shipshape which makes all the difference,” said Christian Ripard (Valetta, Malta), explaining by satellite link what life is like for the crew on Jazz. “Our food is good, considering it’s freeze-dried, but already, after six days, I look forward to eating some fresh salad or something with a bit more crunch to it. WOW! Just got a call on deck, we just missed a huge whale by 50 feet. Last night was pretty crazy too....bombing down waves at 20 knots in thick fog with NO visibility is pushing one’s fate. My wife Jackie is probably right in thinking that anyone in his right mind doing this is fit for the loony bin. Sometimes I think she’s right.....but, actually experiencing this sort of stuff is somewhat overwhelming and beautiful.

"Hearing the snoring of the off-watch crew is also something which I come out here time after time to find comforting....knowing that you can go to sleep and truly trust that the guys on deck will keep you safe.... that’s something we sailor’s have.... a bond very difficult to find when one is on dry land..... So back to my call of duty on deck, Mike Broughton wants to get back on his nav table to check our progress and work on our next move... bring it on!”

To follow the race via tracker and get real insight into life on board via the blogs, visit www.transatlanticrace.com

Sponsors of the TR 2011 are Rolex, Thomson Reuters, Newport Shipyard, Perini Navi and Peters & May, with additional support by apparel sponsor Atlantis Weathergear.

For more information, visit www.TransatlanticRace.org.

Prior to the start, George David (Hartford Conn.), skipper of Rambler 100, paid tribute to the four yacht clubs that came together to make this race a reality. “This race was only conceived 18 months ago and without the support of New York Yacht Club, the Royal Yacht Squadron, the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the Storm Trysail Club, it would have never happened. It is a dream race that has become a reality.”

Clarke Murphy (New York, N.Y.), competed in the previous edition of the race and was delighted to return to take up the reins of ICAP Leopard. ”Leopard has a phenomenal crew who are also a great bunch of guys, and I have been looking forward to this for a very long time. We have done a lot of racing together, but all of those races have been the build up to this. For me and the crew, the Transatlantic Race is what it is all about.”

A weather front arrived as if by magic, and with the wind speed at the top of the rigs approaching 15 knots, the six yachts cruised the starting area like reef sharks ready to attack. As the starting gun sounded from Castle Hill Light, the Maxi fleet powered up and the sound of immense loads echoed across the water as sheets were pulled on and rigs raked back to propel the high-performance racing machines out towards the open ocean. The sheer power on display was awe-inspiring, as the fastest yachts in the Transatlantic Race 2011, searing through the water, foam hissing at the rail, started on their one-way ride across the untamed Atlantic Ocean.

Beau Geste, the Farr 80 skippered by Karl Kwok (Hong Kong), got the best start and sped away toward Brenton Point. PUMA's mar mostro, skippered by Ken Read (Newport, R.I.), was next to cross the line followed by Rambler 100 and ICAP Leopard. Vanquish was caught up in the Maxi mêlée and was stalled as the two 100-footers powered up on either side of the 65’ yacht crewed by the Oakcliff All American Offshore Team. For the young crew aboard Vanquish, this is a ride of their life, lining up against the best in the world.

Beau Geste and PUMA's mar mostro continued up the right-hand side of the course, playing touch and go with the rocky shoreline, while Rambler 100 and ICAP Leopard seemed locked in their own private tussle as the fleet headed offshore. The magnificent 115’ ketch, Sojana, with a mahogany interior, is far heavier than her sporting rivals and skipper Peter Harrison (Reigate, U.K.) will surely be hoping for more wind.

For the yachts in IRC Class Four, which took the first race start on June 26 and are now a week into their journey, it’s a case of the rich getting richer. Rives Potts Jr. (Essex, Conn.), skipper of Carina, leads the class with only the classic yawl Nordwind for company. British Soldier is now 200 miles astern.

Jazz, the Cookson 50 skippered by Nigel King (Lymington, U.K.), is nearly 700 miles ahead of today’s starters and leads in IRC Class Two. Jazz is struggling for breeze at the moment, but a low-pressure system located just to their north is tantalizingly close. This area of wind is moving west, however, and if they can get to it, they will be carried swiftly along; if they don’t, they will be left to wallow in the short seas and little wind that it leaves behind.
Meanwhile, Huntington Sheldon, skipper of the Reichel Pugh 65, Zaraffa, is a happy man today. Zaraffa is now in the breeze after a day of fickle wind. And, as predicted, the Lithuanian Volvo 60, Ambersail, have made a big gain to the south and have been the fastest boat in class over the last 24 hours.

In the Open Class, Phaedo, skippered by Lloyd Thornburg, has been enjoying some great wind after moving south on Friday afternoon. Maltese Falcon, on the other hand, has been playing the shifts up the coastline of Nova Scotia, putting in a myriad of gybes. Those who thought that the 298’ art deco superyacht would be coasting across the Atlantic are very mistaken. The two highly distinctive yachts look like they are coming back together after over 50 miles of separation and it will be interesting to see which one will be out in front. The two Class 40s also parted company after following the same line for the first 48 hours. Concise 2, skippered by Ned Collier-Wakefield (Oxford, U.K.) went south and Dragon did not follow; the two yachts are now 70 miles apart on the race track.

All of the 24 yachts competing in the Transatlantic Race will be carefully planning their next move as they can never fully work out what lies ahead of them. The yachts that have already settled into the race know one thing for certain, the magnificent yachts in IRC One will be coming on fast and almost certainly Rambler 100 or ICAP Leopard will overtake them before long: just four hours into the race, Rambler 100 was exceeding 18 knots boatspeed and had already overed 40 miles.

Sponsors of the TR 2011 are Rolex, Thomson Reuters, Newport Shipyard, Perini Navi and Peters & May, with additional support by apparel sponsor Atlantis Weathergear.

For more information, visit www.TransatlanticRace.org.

With a huge number of spectator boats gathered to see the fleet off, the breeze started to build just as the first warning signal sounded from the Castle Hill Light at 13:50 Eastern Daylight Time. A freshening southwesterly caught several competitors off-guard, resulting in three boats -- Scho-ka-kola, Concise 2 and Jazz -- being called over the line at the start. Scho-ka-kola returned almost immediately, however, Concise 2 and Jazz continued to race and it was nearly half an hour before these two yachts returned to cross the line correctly.

Concise 2 is one of two Class 40s in the fleet, and the eagerness of its young crew gave Dragon, which is being sailed double-handed by Michael Hennesy (Mystic, Conn.) and Rob Windsor (East Northport, N.Y.), an early lead in the class – by the time Concise restarted, Dragon was 4.5 miles ahead. No doubt the Concise crew will be digging deep to make up for lost time.

Jazz, the Cookson 50 skippered by Nigel King (Lymington, U.K.), came back very strongly after their premature start. Navigator Mike Broughton (Hamble, U.K.), speaking dockside just an hour before the start, believes it will be an interesting first night. “The cold front should come through as we go around the Nantucket Shoals, and how we play that could be pretty much a key area. I am seeing a bit of coastal racing for this ocean race. This is a fascinating racecourse and has been for hundreds of years. The conditions are the same now as they have been for all those years…the jet stream, the low pressure systems, the Gulf Stream. Many of the grand prix offshore events can be broken down into a series of legs, but this one is more like trying to hit a moving target; trying to work out where you want to go and when that pressure will get there.”

In IRC Class Two, Christoph Avenarius and Gorm Gondesen’s Shakti and Jens Kellinghusen’s Varuna have begun their battle within the race. Both yachts are from Germany and have exactly the same hull, however, there are subtle differences between the two yachts as Shakti’s tactician, Bendix Hügelmann (Hamburg, Germany) explained before the start. “Varuna has more sail area and weight in her keel, which should give them an advantage in heavier conditions. However, we recently raced each other and there was little difference in speed between us. Two days ago, the crews of both Shakti and Varuna had dinner together. We hope to make each other go faster by our close competition, rather than slow each other down. It is also very useful to have another yacht close by, should we need assistance in an emergency. We will be pushing Shakti to win, but safety is always the most important aspect of any yacht race.”

In IRC Class Three, the Reichel Pugh 66 Zaraffa made the best start. Owner Huntington Sheldon (Shelburne, Vt.), at 80 years of age, is believed to be the oldest competitor in the Transatlantic Race 2011, and has a crack crew on board including Axel Maghdal (Norway), Richard Mason (New Zealand), Jens Dolmer (Denmark) and Matt Humphries (England), all of whom have all competed in the Volvo Ocean Race. “This is a professionally run team and Zaraffa won the Transatlantic in 2003 and a lot of people said that was a fluke,” said a defiant Sheldon just hours before the start. “I aim to prove those people wrong.” From the way Zaraffa started it looks as though the team mean business.

The team on the Volvo 60 Ambersail is proud to be the first-ever Lithuanian yacht to compete in a Transatlantic Race. “To see the Lithuanian flag at the New York Yacht Club was very special,” said skipper Simonas Steponavicius (Vilnius, Lithuania) just hours before the start. “The sail number of Ambersail is LTU 1000, which was chosen as it signifies one thousand years of our country’s history. This is a very proud moment for the crew and also for our country. We wish all of the competitors good luck and fair winds for the race.”

Notably absent from the starting area was Chris Frost’s (Durban, South Africa) Prodigy. The 54’ canting-keeled yacht, which took line honors in the 2011 Cape to Rio yacht race (easily breaking the record set 40 years ago by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s Ocean Spirit), developed a technical problem just minutes before the start. The issue seems to have been resolved, however, as Prodigy set off on the race within an hour of the rest of the fleet.

While the first start of the day produced some high drama, the start for the two yachts in the Open Class was just as extraordinary. As the magnificent 298’ Maltese Falcon unfurled acres of canvas and entered the starting area, the Gunboat 66, Phaedo, owned by Lloyd Thornburg (St. Barthelemy) was dwarfed in comparison. Phaedo is one of the world’s most head-turning maritime creations and the carbon fibre, Lamborghini-orange catamaran has become one of the most well-known yachts on the regatta circuit. However, the spectacle of the Art Deco giant, Maltese Falcon, dominated the proceedings, announcing its intentions with a bone-rattling blast of colossal air-horns to warn spectator yachts that they were about to tack for the line. It was a full five minutes before the three rotating rigs, each weighing 30 tons, completed their revolutions and Maltese Falcon heeled over bound for the start of the Transatlantic Race 2011. Phaedo, however, was far more exuberant and timed the approach to perfection, coming up under Maltese Falcon. At first they were caught in the enormous wind shadow of their leviathan nemesis, but as Phaedo came out of the wind hole, gasping for air, the crew onboard hauled in the sheets. Pulling the trigger, Phaedo accelerated away from the opposition, but not for long. Weighing in at an unbelievable 1110 tons, Maltese Falcon soon overhauled Phaedo and the rest of the fleet in today’s start, achieving a boat speed of over 14 knots.

Today’s starters have a lot of ground to make up just to catch up with the six yachts that started on June 26. The yachts in IRC Class 4 and the classic yacht Nordwind have a 400 mile head start. Star of the show in the leading pack is the McCurdy and Rhodes 48, Carina, skippered by Rives Potts, Jr. (Essex, Conn.). Carina is the closest yacht to The Lizard finish – albeit with 2360 miles to go to finish this epic race.

Sponsors of the TR 2011 are Rolex, Thomson Reuters, Newport Shipyard, Perini Navi and Peters & May, with additional support by apparel sponsor Atlantis Weathergear.

For more information, visit www.TransatlanticRace.org.

New York, N.Y., USA (April 21, 2011) – While the water views from anywhere along Newport Harbor (R.I.) are already magnificent, they will be absolutely april21_transatstartbreathtaking in late June and early July when 32 ocean-going yachts set sail in the Transatlantic Race 2011, which charts a course that stretches 2,975 nautical miles from Newport to Lizard Point, at the end of a peninsula in South Cornwall (UK). This history-making event is organized by the Royal Yacht Squadron, New York Yacht Club, Royal Ocean Racing Club and Storm Trysail Club, with pre-start activities taking place at the New York Yacht Club’s Harbour Court clubhouse in Newport and the awards taking place at the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Cowes Castle clubhouse on the Isle of Wight.

The fleet runs the gamut from sleek traditional designs, such as the 94’ William Fife-designed Sumurun, to sophisticated super yachts, such as the 289’ custom Perini Navi clipper sailing yacht Maltese Falcon, with three masts so tall (190’) they barely clear Newport’s towering Pell Bridge, which serves as a gateway to Rhode Island’s famous City by the Sea. And as those who are veterans of ocean racing will attest, crossing the Atlantic Ocean is no small feat, especially when storms, testing seas and even icebergs (still a danger in the North Atlantic in June) are included in the mix of challenges encountered.

“What I find so incredible with open-ocean racing is that there are very few things that you can do these days that are the same as what people did 400 years ago,” said Sumurun’s owner Robert Towbin . “You have such a sense of history when you’re out there and for a couple weeks you get to feel, in effect, the same way Columbus felt.”

Towbin has sailed Sumurun in two previous transatlantic races, winning the Classic Division in the 2005 Rolex Transatlantic Challenge and taking overall victory in the 1997 Atlantic Challenge Cup presented by Rolex. He is currently preparing his classic yacht, which was built in 1914, to endure what will be its first challenge of the 2011 sailing season. “If you have an older boat, a race of this complexity takes a lot out of it, so we are putting a lot of work into it to get it up to date,” said Towbin.

Three separate starts – June 26, June 29, and July 3 – are planned (Sumurun will be in the first start) to “stagger” the yachts of different sizes and ability so that they will arrive in England in proximity to each other. Challenging their crews both mentally and physically, the larger boats hope to finish the race in 8 to 12 days, while the smaller boats may take up to 18 to 22 days to finish.

In addition to class winners, whichever yacht finishes the course with the fastest elapsed time will set the benchmark for a new racing record from Newport to Lizard Point, to be ratified by the World Speed Sailing Council. Rolex watches will be awarded to the record holder and the overall winner (on corrected time) under IRC.

It’s anyone’s guess which of the true racing thoroughbreds entered might prevail. Among them, scheduled to depart in the final race group, are the VOR 70 crewed by PUMA Ocean Racing Team – the Newport-based second-place finisher in the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race and entrant in the next edition as well –, Rambler 100, George David’s maxi rocket ship that has been tearing up race courses since the beginning of the year, including breaking the record for the RORC Caribbean 600 and taking line honors at the Pineapple Cup-Montego Bay Race, and ICAP Leopard which holds the current record from Ambrose Light to Lizard Point for monohulls using powered sailing systems.

And if that’s not impressive enough, there will be two all-youth teams competing, one from Germany (aboard the Andrews 56 Norddeutsche Vermoegen in race start two) and one from the U.S.A. (the All American Offshore Team’s IRC 65 Vanquish in race start three). In addition, four Class 40s, high-performance monohulls designed specifically for shorthanded sailing, will have their own class (starting in the second group).

A 2011 Transatlantic Race panel discussion, held on April 26 in New York, was a huge success with over 150 people in attendance. Hosted by Thomson Reuters at their Times Square headquarters, members of the panel included George David, owner/skipper of Rambler 100; Chris Gartner, captain of Maltese Falcon; Larry Huntingon, owner/captain of Snow Lion and more.

Moderated by Gary Jobson, the purpose of the panel discussion was to give the media an overview of the race, which will start in Newport on June 26 and race 2,975 miles to Lizard Point in England. To listen to the Panel Discussion online, visit the following link: http://transatlantic.bcgdev.co/

Brad Dellenbaugh
New York Yacht Club
+1(401) 845-9633
dellenbaugh@nyyc.org

Trish Lewington
Royal Yacht Squadron
+44 (0)1983 292191
mail@rys.org.uk

Ian Loffhagen
Royal Ocean Racing Club
+ 44 (0)207 493 2248
racing@rorc.org.uk

Marcy Trenholm
Storm Trysail Club
+1(914) 834-8857
stormtry@aol.com

New York, NY USA, March 3, 2011 –The organizers of the Transatlantic Race 2011 (TR 2011), the Royal Yacht Squadron, New York Yacht Club, Royal Ocean Racing Club and Storm Trysail Club, have extended the deadline to enter the Race to March 31, 2011. With the transatlantic fleet now over 30 entries and many new inquiries following the success of the RORC Caribbean 600 - part of the companion Atlantic Ocean Racing Series - the organizers encourage those interested to enter the TR 2011 as soon as possible to secure a spot since the Notice of Race notes a maximum of 50 yachts for the Race.

The TR 2011 will cover 2,975 miles from Newport, R.I., to the Lizard in England. The focus of pre-race activities will be the New York Yacht Club’s Harbour Court clubhouse in Newport, R.I. There will be three staggered starts from June 26 to July 3. The awards ceremony on August 9th and other post-race activities will be held at the Castle, the home of the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, England.

The fleet will include IRC Racing, IRC Racer/Cruiser, Classic and Open divisions with a minimum length overall (LOA) of 40 feet and no maximum. Competition is building within several segments of the diverse fleet, notably the 100’ and up range which includes Sojana, Rambler 100, ICAP Leopard and Maltese Falcon.

Tight racing is also expected in other classes and divisions, such as yachts in the under 50’ range in IRC Racing and IRC Racer/Cruiser including the Class 40s - Concise 2, Dragon, and Kamoa'e, the Rogers 46s - Shakti and Varuna, as well as British Soldier ASA, Jacqueline IV, Sasha, Dawn Star and Carina. For a complete list of entries click here.

Prospective entrants in the TR 2011 will find the Notice of Race, Entry Form along with other race documents at: www.transatlanticrace.org. Entry forms should be returned as soon as possible - but no later than March 31, 2011 - to sailingoffice@nyyc.org.

The TR 2011 is the centerpiece of the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series (AORS) and is organized in concert with the following clubs: Royal Malta Yacht Club, Annapolis Yacht Club, Ida Lewis Yacht Club, Montego Bay Yacht Club, Naval Academy Sailing Squadron, Jamaica Yachting Association, Antigua Yacht Club and Real Club Nautico de Sanxenxo.

Two races in the AORS have been completed: the Pineapple Cup - Montego Bay Race and the RORC Caribbean 600. The Pineapple Cup, from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. to Montego Bay, Jamaica, a distance of 811 miles, was won by Genuine Risk, a 97-foot canting keel super maxi skippered by Hugo Stenbeck. In the RORC Caribbean 600, George David’s Rambler 100, took line and overall IRC honors and set the monohull record of one day, 16 hours, 20 minutes and 2 seconds for the course’s 600 miles.

In addition to the TR 2011, upcoming races in the AORS are the Annapolis to Newport Race (June 3); Rolex Fastnet Race (August 14); Biscay Race (September 11-12) and Rolex Middle Sea Race (October 22).

Interest in competing for the Series has been increasing rapidly with nearly half of the TR 2011 entries planning to compete for the AORS. Of the seven races in the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series, three races including the Transatlantic Race 2011 must be completed to qualify. Races will be weighted equally with the exception of the Transatlantic Race 2011, which will be weighted 1.5 times. Cox-Sprague points will be awarded within individual races in the series to accommodate differences in fleet sizes. A yacht will be scored in the series using its two best finishes in addition to the Transatlantic Race 2011. Awards for the AORS will be presented in November, 2011 at the New York Yacht Club’s Annual Awards Dinner in New York.

Brad Dellenbaugh
New York Yacht Club
+1(401) 845-9633
dellenbaugh@nyyc.org

Trish Lewington
Royal Yacht Squadron
+44 (0)1983 292191
mail@rys.org.uk

Ian Loffhagen
Royal Ocean Racing Club
+ 44 (0)207 493 2248
racing@rorc.org.uk

Marcy Trenholm
Storm Trysail Club
+1(914) 834-8857
stormtry@aol.com

ICAP Leopard, PUMA's mar mostro and Beau Geste Enter

Newport, R.I. USA, February 3, 2011 – With approximately five weeks remaining until the February 28 deadline, entries are approaching 25 yachts for this summer’s Transatlantic Race 2011 (TR2011), hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron, New York Yacht Club, Royal Ocean Racing Club and Storm Trysail Club. A number of other yachts are expected to enter. “We’re delighted with the response so far and expect this to be a very competitive race,” said George David, co-chair of the Transatlantic Race 2011 Committee.

Covering 2,975 miles from Newport, R.I., to the Lizard in England, the race will begin near the New York Yacht Club’s Harbour Court clubhouse in Newport, with three staggered starts from June 26 to July 3. The fleet will include IRC Racing, IRC Racer/Cruiser, Classic and Open divisions with a minimum length overall (LOA) of 40 feet. There is no maximum size.

The awards ceremony and other post-race activities will be held at the Castle, the home of the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, England. David Aisher, Rear Commodore Yachting of the Royal Yacht Squadron confirms, “We are delighted to be working with the New York Yacht Club on this prestigious race and are very much looking forward to welcoming the fleet to Cowes and particularly to the Royal Yacht Squadron where the finishing receptions and prize-giving will take place. We hope many of the competing yachts will also go on to enter the Rolex Fastnet and Middle Sea races, and also our own inaugural Biscay Race, details of which will be available online shortly.”

Among the recent notable entries are:

ICAP Leopard, a 100-foot Farr-designed canting keel super-maxi entered by Clarke Murphy, who skippered Stay Calm, a Swan 70, in the NYYC’s Rolex Transatlantic Challenge in 2005. The TR2011 will be Murphy’s fifth crossing of the Atlantic. As he said, “Having raced against Mike Slade’s previous Leopard in the Rolex Transatlantic Challenge and seeing how well it performed, I couldn’t have been luckier when I heard the current boat was for charter.” Asked what lessons he learned in the previous race, Murphy said, “You need a lot of experience and waterline to do well in this game.” The crew Murphy has assembled consists of friends from the Chesapeake where he grew up. A number of them previously joined him as well on Stay Calm in the 2005 transatlantic race, including Ian Budgen, a Volvo Ocean Race veteran. “We bring as much humor as talent. That’s a good combination for a transatlantic race.”

Beau Geste, a Farr 80, skippered by Karl Kwok, and with Gavin Brady, an America’s Cup helmsman aboard. Beau Geste was the second boat to finish the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race, three hours after ICAP Leopard, and she dominated her class in the 2010 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Said Karl Kwok, “To have a well organized transatlantic race from west to east is pretty rare these days.” He looks forward to “a good race, and the opportunity to tick off another box on the world’s premier blue-water racing classics.”

PUMA’s mar mostro, a new 70-foot Volvo Ocean Race entry, skippered by Ken Read and designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian. In the 2008-09 Volvo, Read’s il mostro, sailing for Puma, finished second. As Read said, “This race is a fantastic opportunity for us, although we can’t really configure the boat toward IRC (the handicap rule of choice for this race). We need to practice in our Volvo configuration so we’ll take whatever rating we’re given. The bonus for us is simply to sail against other great boats and begin to practice boat positioning and communication and real life boat handling under pressure.” Read looks forward to matching up with ICAP Leopard and Beau Geste, but especially George David’s Rambler 100. Joked Read, “My crew and I are presently sailing with George and his team on Rambler 100 -- until our new boat goes into the water. Good natured trash talking has already started with George. He wants to put a small wager on the first boat to finish in the Transatlantic between his 100 footer and our 70 footer. We’re going to hold off on the wager until we get a little time from him—like about a day and a half!”

Hound, a 60-foot classic, designed by Abeking & Rasmussen and skippered by Frank Eberhart. Under Eberhart, Hound won her class in the Bermuda Race in 1998 and 2002.

A number of other boats have entered recently. The Andrews 56 Norddeutsche Vermoegen Hamburg will be sailed by a German Youth Team. The skipper is Eike Holst, her watch captain in the transatlantic HSH Nordbank blue race, from Newport, to Cuxhaven, Germany, where the boat finished third. To qualify as a Youth Team, 50 percent of the crew must be 25 years of age or under. The US Merchant Marine Academy’s Sailing Foundation is fielding a youth entry challenge with the 65-foot carbon fiber Reichel-Pugh-designed Vanquish. Persevere, a Hanse 545 co-skippered in this race by Colin Rath and Arthur Bugs Baer, will compete, as will Varuna, a Rogers 46 footer. The classic 86 foot Nordwind, sailed by Dr. Hans Albrecht, which corrected to a second place finish in the Rolex Transatlantic Challenge in 2005, will offer good competition to the 1914 Sumurun, a 94 foot Fife that has entered on a provisional basis. Sumurun won the 2005 Transatlantic Race in the Classic Division.

Uwe Lebens’ Scho-Ka-Kola, a Reichel-Pugh 56-footer from Germany that was first across the finish line in three of four Baltic Sprint Cup legs in 2009 has joined the fleet. There are now three Class 40 entries, the latest being Kamoa'e owned by Eric Lecoq. For a complete list of entries click here.

To enhance the challenge of and interest in the TR2011, the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series has been created. The AORS combines the TR2011 with three races before on the U.S. side of the Atlantic and three after in England and the Mediterranean. Three races including the TR2011 will qualify for the Series. The six companion races and their starting dates are the Pineapple Cup February 5, 2011, RORC Caribbean 600 February 21, Annapolis to Newport June 3, Rolex Fastnet August 14, Biscay September 11-12, and Rolex Middle Sea October 22. To enter the TR 2011, please go to www.transatlanticrace.org or contact:

Brad Dellenbaugh
New York Yacht Club
+1(401) 845-9633
dellenbaugh@nyyc.org

Trish Lewington
Royal Yacht Squadron
+44 (0)1983 292191
mail@rys.org.uk

Ian Loffhagen
Royal Ocean Racing Club
+ 44 (0)207 493 2248
racing@rorc.org.uk

Marcy Trenholm
Storm Trysail Club
+1(914) 834-8857
stormtry@aol.com

New York, NY, USA, November 9, 2010 – Next summer’s Transatlantic Race 2011, hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron, New York Yacht Club, Royal Ocean Racing Club and Storm Trysail Club, has to date attracted 14 entries and seven provisional ones, with the deadline to enter February 28, 2011. The TR 2011, a distance of 2,975 nautical miles, is from Newport, RI to the Lizard west of Plymouth, England and will feature three staggered starts from June 26-July 3, 2011.

The New York Yacht Club at Harbour Court in Newport, RI and the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, England will welcome participating yachts at scheduled events on departure and arrival.

The TR 2011 is for Racing, Racing/Cruising and Classic yachts with a minimum length overall (LOA) of 40 feet and will be limited to 50 yachts. It will establish a record time for a race from Newport to the Lizard, as administered by the World Sailing Speed Record Council, part of ISAF.

Among the notable entries is Rambler 100, sailed by George David, of Hartford, CT. If a familiar name, this Rambler is new to David. He will be campaigning a renamed Speedboat, the canting keel IRC 100 commissioned by Alex Jackson and designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian – aka “Juan K.”

In his 90 foot Rambler in 2007, David won the transatlantic Nordbank blue race, the Super Zero class in the Rolex Fastnet Race and the Rolex Middle Sea Race. A few months later, Rambler won Buenos Aires to Rio and, in 2009, the transatlantic Heineken Cape to Bahia Race. Rambler holds the current fixed-keel record in two of these races and the record overall in the other three. Said David, “Transatlantics are proper blue-water sailing. I didn’t think of these as life goals until the 2007 race. I should have and recommend the same to every serious sailor.”

David made these comments in late October just before taking Rambler 100 from Newport to Florida with Ken Read, whose Puma-sponsored Il Mostro was second in the 2007-2008 Volvo Ocean Race (round-the-world). Read, too, is strongly considering entering the TR 2011 with his new Mar Mostro, again sponsored by Puma for the 2011-2012 Volvo. Mar Mostro is designed by the aforementioned Juan Kouyoumdjian, who designed the winner of the previous two Volvos (Ericsson 4 and ABN Amro). Said Read, “We’re strongly considering doing the race. It will be a great opportunity for our program and for offshore sailing in North America in general.”

Dr. Huntington Sheldon, of Shelburne, VT will be sailing Zaraffa, his Reichel Pugh 66-footer in which he won the 2003 DaimlerChrysler North Atlantic Challenge from Newport to Cuxhaven, Germany with a course time of 13 days, 15 hours, 7 minutes and 28 seconds. Having subsequently donated the boat to the U.S. Naval Academy, Sheldon is chartering her back for the TR 2011.

The largest entry presently is Sojana, Peter R. Harrison’s Farr 115-foot ketch. Harrison headed the 2003 British America’s Cup challenge. His Sojana was second across the line in 11 days, 14 hours, 54 minutes and 59 seconds in the Transatlantic Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in 2007.

There are three 40-footers: British Soldier ASA, Lt. Col. Nicholas Bate, and two Class40s: Bolands Mill, John Ryan (Dublin, Ireland) and Dragon, Michael Hennessy (New York, NY). There is also a contingent of yachts from Germany expected to compete. They include Shakti, Varuna and Guts 'n Glory.

Former NYYC Commodore Larry Huntington will enter his Ker-designed Snow Lion, which won her class in the 2007 Rolex Fastnet Race and finished second overall in the 2010 Bermuda Race Gibbs Hill Division. Huntington’s previous Snow Lion was second to finish the 2003 DaimlerChrysler North Atlantic Challenge. He has raced five transatlantics and eight Fastnets. “Joseph Conrad wrote, ‘The true peace of God exists a thousand miles from the nearest land,’” said Huntington. “A race across the Atlantic is a great way to experience that peace.”

Rives Potts (Essex, CT), the newly nominated rear commodore of the New York Yacht Club, will race Carina, a 48-foot sloop designed by McCurdy & Rhodes and launched in 1969 for father and son Dick and Richard Nye and winner of the 1972 transatlantic. Potts has competed in several America’s Cup campaigns, including Freedom, the successful defender skippered by Dennis Conner in 1980. In 1995, Potts acquired Carina, which has sailed more Bermuda Races than any other boat, 19, and won the St. David’s Lighthouse trophy in 1970 and 1982. In 2010, Potts and Carina repeated the St. David’s Lighthouse win for a third time. Potts, who has competed in 20 Bermuda Races, said, “Most sailors who enjoy ocean racing feel that a transoceanic crossing is the ultimate in their sport. Something everyone should do once in their life. It definitely should be on every sailor’s bucket list.”

To enhance the challenge and interest of the TR 2011, the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series has been created. The Series combines the TR 2011 with three races before on this side of the Atlantic and three after in England and the Mediterranean. Three races including the TR 2011 will qualify for the Series. The six companion races and their starting dates are the Pineapple Cup February 5, 2011, RORC Caribbean 600 February 21, Annapolis to Newport June 3, Rolex Fastnet August 14, Biscay September 5-6, and Rolex Middle Sea October 22.

Yacht owners, skippers or charterers interested in participating in the TR 2011 or the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series should contact:

Brad Dellenbaugh
New York Yacht Club
+1(401) 845-9633
dellenbaugh@nyyc.org

Trish Lewington
Royal Yacht Squadron
+44 (0)1983 292191
mail@rys.org.uk

Ian Loffhagen
Royal Ocean Racing Club
+ 44 (0)207 493 2248
racing@rorc.org.uk

Marcy Trenholm
Storm Trysail Club
+1(914) 834-8857
stormtry@aol.com