52 Super Series and Atlantic Race on 11th Hour Racing Mode

Image: 52 Super Series in full action -Event has been on the rise since its past editions

Training time for the 52 Super Series and the Atlantic Race Teams has ended. Race Mode and Countdown is on! With just weeks to start both Iconic High Performance Races -one in the US and other in Europe are tied in a close partnership with the 11th Hour known for their Clean Regatta format. Professional Sport Sailing and Ocean Health seems to be a union made in heaven. 

52 Super Series reported on April 20 on the recently extended partnership with the 11th Hour. "We are proud to work with 11th Hour Racing in protecting our seas!" organizers stated. The 52 Super Series agreed to work together with the 11th Hour until 2017. New sustainable initiatives will rollout in coming editions. 

The 11th Hour Racing -program of The Schmidt Family Foundation has set out its mission to create strategic partnerships within the sailing and marine communities with the main goal of promoting collaborative change that will benefit the health of the oceans. From recycling waste and water, turning High Profile International Sailing Regattas into “Clean Regattas¨, creating awareness campaigns for all publìcs and paying off carbon offsets 11th Hour has its hand on anything clean that is worth taking on. 

52 Super Series venues and viewers are growing and campaigns to raise awareness and promote a “lasting legacy across sailing and the world of sport” are on their way. 

“We believe fostering environmentally sustainable practices on and off the water is critical to the preservation of our ocean and its vital resources,” 11th Hour stays.  

“We have a great future ahead are really pleased with what we accomplished in the first year of our partnership with 11th Hour Racing. We were able to engage sailors, officials, personnel, supporters and spectators with a successful sustainability campaign, backed by a credible strategy and implementation plan,” Lars Boecking -52 Super Series Sustainability Officer stated. 

But 52 Super Series reminded their fans that they are not an environmental organization nor are they a pressure group nor advocating for the environment. 

“We are a top level sporting circuit which seeks to raise awareness on the importance of environmental responsability,” Race Organizers said. 

“By embracing best practices, we can show the World of Professional Sport that this is a winning formula,” Boecking of 52 Super Series ended it. 

The 52 Super Series is raced on incredible high speed monohulls. This year's edition is the sixth season of the Super Series and they assure it will the best ever. Evolution has progressively shown that boats at the Series have become faster and more exciting to sail.

This Year the Tour will take Teams from the Scarlino Cup in Tuscany set for May 25 to Sardinia in June-July, Mallorca in ends of July, Menorca in September with the TP52 World Championship and Cascais in October with the Cascais Cup. 

52 Super Series Teams have been training for the past weeks hard. On March 24 Five Boats trained in Valencia including the leader of the board Azzurra. Media reported that Teams have raised their game and that this year´s regattas will be “closer than ever”. 

The five Teams took on informal races and although no official results were released it was reported that Azzurra the 52 Super Series Champions won the most races in the three days of race training in Valencia. 

Some designs of the boat have been modified and are expected to perform such as the team led by Tony Langley and his Gladiator -a Vrolijk design. Those close to the waters assured that the Langley Team had none other than the America's Cup Winner Ed Baird invited onboard to provide some “outside input”. The two fastest boats out there to the day are Azzurra and Gladiator.

Modification of the 52s include new or modified keel fins, rudders transferred slightly forward, reduced blade area to reduce drag and other trimmings.

“It has to be said that all of the boats improved and that every day is getting harder to get a speed edge on anyone, so we anticipate a higher level of competition for this season. Next step is Palma Vela, where we expect a minimum of 8 boats, and will be more into racing mode rather than testing, so it will be interesting to see what has the rest of the fleet been doing? We feel we are in a good position and we are making sure we arrive there in the best possible shape. We are all looking forward to it,” Skipper Helm of Azzurra Guillermo Parada warned.

All the way across the Atlantic Ocean and into the North America offshore, power sailing is also on countdown for the iconic Atlantic Cup. The Atlantic Cup once again is partnered and sponsored by the 11th Hour. This year things are expected to stirr up. 

“The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing is the longest US Sail Race -a hard-fought, intense double-handed, offshore race held on the eastern seaboard of the United States. Some of the best short-handed sailors around the globe vie for the chance to take hold of The Atlantic Cup! In addition, the Atlantic Cup provides shore-based activities for fans of all ages plus it is the most environmentally sustainable sailing race in the US,” Organizers explained for those who are unfamiliar with the Regatta. 

Oh and yes...the Atlantic Cup is a Carbon Neutral Race! Running since 2012 Teams and Race Management have seen the event grow and working with the 11th Hour found new ways to make the event a “Clean Race”. 

Race organizers this year will -once again like previous editions calculate the Atlantic Cup’s carbon footprint and carbon-offset supplier, We Are Neutral, will offset it at the conclusion of the race. But carbon offsetting is as mentioned just one of the elements of clean regatta racing. Food sourcing, energy use, plastics, education, new generation ocean involvement, kids ocean sport involvement and more are part of the mission of the 11th Hour at the Atlantic Race. 

“With 11th Hour Racing’s support, the Atlantic Cup is the most environmentally sustainable sailing race in the United States,” organizers who signed North Face as the Official Sailmaker end that debate. 

Class 40 Boats specially geared up and prepared to take on the offshore race will sail around capes Hatteras and Cod. 

From Charleston to New York to Portland Maine and finishing it off with inshore racing the legs promises different types of weather, winds, and ocean conditions perfect for a sailing strategy showdown. 

Ok, so, The Atlantic Race is looking good on the sustainable clean side of things but just how well can these Class 40 Team race? Can they go the distance? Stand the winds, rain and tides? Can they push the limit? Trim the sails to top speeds? 

Sail World reported that several World-Recognized accomplished sailors have recently joined the fleet of Class 40 for the Atlantic Cup. Volvo Ocean Races, Transat Jacques Vabre top finishers and Olympic Athletes will be among them. 

Four new Teams added to the Fleet. New Teams include Carac, Campagne de France, Eärendil, and Privateer. Top Class 40 athletes from US, France, Spain, Sweden, Canada and Great Britain will battle head to head. A total of 12 boats will show up for the offshore event. 

“Several accomplished sailors recently joined the field including two-time British Olympic team meteorologist and accomplished Volvo Ocean Race sailor, Libby Greenhalgh (Oakcliff – USA). Her co-skipper, Canadian, Liz Shaw is Canada’s youngest National Race Officer. The duo is competing in the first leg of the race; Hobie Ponting (Oakcliff – USA) and a yet to be named co-skipper will sail legs two and three. Louis Duc (Carac – FRA), 2015 Transat Jacques Vabre third place finisher; Jeffrey Brock (Pleiad – USA), former Volvo Ocean Race sailor and French pair Halvard Mabire and co-skipper, Miranda Merron (Campagne De France – FRA) are new additions to the race, shaping up for a tough field of competitors in the fifth edition of the Atlantic Cup,” Sail World reported. 

The Atlantic Cup also announced the addition -for the first time in the history of the event of an All-Female Team.

“I am really looking forward to competing in this year's Atlantic Cup and excited to be teaming up with Liz to race as the first all-female team to compete in the Cup,” Greenhalgh said. 

“This race will be challenging with the strong competition, tough course and also a new experience for me racing short-handed. I think it is important to have good role models out there for young women to see the pathway in sailing and it will be great to make a little bit of history and challenge more to follow us!” 

Teams will face 1 thousand 45 nautical miles of hard core Western Atlantic waters. 

The Atlantic Cup...about the begin...52 Super Series 2016 Season warming its engines. 11th Hour in the House.