The Maxi Yachts that started on July 3 from Newport, R.I. to The Lizard in southeast England have been making fantastic progress. The yachts are all opting for the direct route and maximizing speed. Rambler 100, the Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed 100’ canting keel maxi, is averaging close to 20 knots and predicted to finish on the 10th of July. This will set an exceptional benchmark for a transatlantic crossing.

Rambler 100 is closely competing with PUMA’s Mar Mostro.  PUMA has taken up a slightly more northerly position 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 is south of the rhumb line and enjoying better breeze than the two rivals in front.

The young Oakcliff All American Offshore Team, racing aboard the Reichel Pugh-designed Vanquish, are thrilled with the experience, and opportunity and are managing to hold their own rather well despite the fiercely sophisticated competition.

In IRC Class Two, Jazz, is the frontrunner and the Cookson 50 has altered course north, aiming for a low-pressure system. This move north also avoids an area of little wind to the south that the German Rogers 46s, Shakti and Varuna, have been unable to take.

The IRC Class Three lead is maintained by Zaraffa. Ambersail’s move south saw the Lithuanian crew make up some ground but  ahead lies an area of little wind and they will need to move sideways to the northto get into pressure.

In IRC Class Four, Carina has given a remarkable performance but 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.”

For more information, yacht blogs and photos: https://www.transatlanticrace.org/

Visit this link to Charter Racing and Spectator Yachts

Today, Wednesday, June 29, the largest group of 14 yachts departed on the Transatlantic Race 2011, a 2,975 nautical mile course from Newport, R.I., to Lizard Point, South Cornwall, England, featuring 30 boats ranging from 40 to 289 feet in length.

The sight of the Open Class, which is

comprised of just two, albeit show stopping yachts heading off into the Atlantic Ocean was a spectator spectacular. The 289’ head turning Perini Navi, Maltese Falcon, is racing against the only multihull entered in the race, the Lamborghini orange catamaran Phaedo.

In IRC Class Two, Jazz, a Cookson 50, with a star-studded crew challenges two German teams on nearly identical yachts competing in the class. Given the racing records of these top yachts, Jazz, Shakti and Varuna should virtually match race across the North Atlantic.

IRC Class Three will

feature six yachts, including Snow Lion, a winner that should prove highly competitive on corrected time. Zaraffa, the Reichel Pugh 65, will undoubtedly be a fierce competitor boasting a crew that includes several veterans of the last edition of the Volvo Ocean Race. The Volvo 60 Ambersail has logged over 100,000 miles since being purchased in 2008 in tribute to a thousand years of Lithuanian history. Ambersail took part in the 2010 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race, winning class honors and placing second overall.

The two smallest yachts are the Class 40s, Dragon and Concise 2. Team Concise will be a force to be reckoned with, having won the 2009 Class 40 World Championship, set a world record for the Round Britain and Ireland course, and taken class honors at the RORC Caribbean 600 for the last three years. Dragon is the only boat racing across the Atlantic double-handed. Owner Michael Hennessy started to focus on short-handed distance racing in 2002.  Since then he has competed in four Newport Bermuda Races, as well as dozens of other races across New England. In 2008 he took delivery of Dragon, an Owen Clarke-design, which will be co-skippered by Rob Windsor.

The Transatlantic Race 2011 is the centerpiece of the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series (AORS), which includes the Pineapple Cup – Montego Bay Race, RORC Caribbean 600, the Annapolis to Newport Race, Rolex Fastnet Race, Biscay Race and the Rolex Middle Sea Race.  Of the seven races in the AORS, three races, including the TR 2011 must be completed to qualify for a series victory.

Click here to Track the Yachts.

For more information, yacht blogs and photos: https://www.transatlanticrace.org/

Visit this link to Charter Racing and Spectator Yachts