Atlantic Cup Sailing Race to Benefit BEF and CF Community

The Boomer Esiason Foundation is the official charitable partner of the 2012 Atlantic Cup, an annual dedicated Class 40 sailing race that will kick off in Charleston, S.C., on May 11, 2012.

If you’ll be in Charleston, New York or Newport in late May-early June you will not want to miss checking out the Class 40s and meeting the skippers.

The Atlantic Cup is a competition made up of three stages. The first stage is a long offshore, double-handed leg from Charleston, S.C., to New York City. The second stage is a sprint leg, also double-handed from New York to Newport, R.I. The third and final stage will be a fully crewed inshore series raced over a weekend in Newport.

The offshore leg starts Friday, May 11th, in Charleston, South Carolina. Boats are expected to arrive in New York sometime late Monday night and into Tuesday. During the offshore leg the boats will be sailed double-handed, which means there will be only two crew onboard.

The sprint leg starts Saturday, May 19th, in New York City. The race start is just off Ellis Island in New York Harbor making Ellis Island and Liberty State Park in New Jersey good viewing spots. The race finishes Sunday in Newport, Rhode Island just off Fort Adams. Again the boats will be sailed double-handed, which means there will be only two crew onboard.

The following weekend, May 26th & 27th, the inshore series will be run in Newport. For this stage the boats will be sailed with six crew onboard. This will allow the teams to push the boats to their limits. Points will be awarded for each race and the skipper with the least amount of combined points from the offshore and the inshore series will win the Atlantic Cup!

The prize purse will be at least $30,000, making it again one of the largest purses for sailing in the United States.

For more information, please visit the Atlantic Cup website.


Atlantic Cup VIP Pro-AM Race in New York Harbor Sweepstakes

Now’s your chance to be part of the Atlantic Cup action while benefiting the Boomer Esiason Foundation and cystic fibrosis community.

In conjunction with the Boomer Esiason Foundation, to raise awareness in the fight against cystic fibrosis, The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing is offering the chance for you and a guest to be on board a real race boat as a crew member assisting the team.

See New York City like never before while experiencing the rush of sailing on one of the Class40 race boats competing in this year’s Atlantic Cup. With the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline as backdrop, you and a friend will be on board as a crew members assisting the team in the race. You will compete against the rest of the fleet for an exciting, fun race in New York Harbor. You don’t need to be a life long sailor, however, if you are experienced we’re certain the skippers will give you a job or two during the race!

Two grand prizes will be awarded in the sweepstakes.

Click here to download information on how to enter and the official sweepstakes rules.

Grand Prize Details

Ready to crew on a Class 40? Here are all the details to get you racing:

Date: Friday, May 18, 2012

Schedule of Events:
11:30 am: Safety Briefing & Boat Assignment
12:15 pm: Boats leave the dock
1 pm – 3 pm: Racing in New York Harbor
4 pm – 7 pm: Pyrat Rum Sponsored Post-Race Cocktail Party & Prize Giving in the VIP Tent at North Cove Marina

Location:
North Cove Marina
385 South End Ave
NY, NY
Come to the Atlantic Cup tent at the southwest end of the marina to check-in.

Dress:
Dress is casual – wear comfortable shoes and bring a jacket if it’s chilly. We will provide water and snacks on board.

Click here to download information on how to enter and the official sweepstakes rules.

For more information, contact Michaela Seccareccia at 646.292.7942 or mseccareccia@esiason.org.