| Transatlantic Race 2011: Trending Younger |
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NEWPORT, R.I., USA (May 25, 2011) – Among the 30-strong fleet preparing to compete in the Transatlantic Race 2011 in late June and early July, there are at least as many variations on the theme of traversing 2,975 nautical miles of ocean stretching from the start in Newport, R.I., to the finish at The Lizard on the coast of Cornwall in Southwestern England. For some, sailing across the Atlantic in this race, co-organized by the Royal Yacht Squadron, New York Yacht Club, Royal Ocean Racing Club and Storm Trysail Club, is about the chance to sail into the history books, while for a younger generation of sailors it is about building a foundation for future success in the sport. A growing contingent of younger competitors is seeking sailing opportunities beyond the inshore dinghy programs typically offered at yacht clubs, high schools and colleges. The young sailors making up the Oakcliff All American Offshore Team (AAOT) on the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy's (USMMA) IRC 65 Vanquish and the German team on the Andrews 56 Norddeutsche Vermögen Hamburg are two groups who are taking advantage of the Transatlantic Race 2011 to expand their skills and hopefully build reputations as the next wave of capable ocean racers. The German team is organized by Hamburgischer Verein Seefahrt e.V., an organization founded in 1903 in Hamburg with the express goal of maintaining seagoing vessels and training young people, both physically and temperamentally, to become skilled mariners. The German crew looks to be the youngest in the race, with an average age of 22.5, but has experience that belies their years as all have offshore experience from racing long and short distances as well as making passages on the Mediterranean, Baltic and North Seas. "This specific team never sailed together before," said Eike Holst whose third Transatlantic Race will be his first as skipper. "We all knew each other and almost everyone sailed together somehow but never in this constellation. This is caused by the structure of our club. For example, me and my navigator, Max Wilckens, sailed together exactly in these positions in the 2010 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race, finishing second in our division, and we sailed together with one other crewmember, Katrin Hilbert, in the 2009 Rolex Fastnet Race when Max was one of the watch officers and I sailed as bowman." Holst selected the team to undertake the Transatlantic Race 2011 "with good advice of Max," and noted that while most of the crew participated together in an ISAF Survival at Sea Seminar in March as well as in "teambuilding meetings" during the winter, the first time they all sailed together was in April. When Norddeutsche Vermögen Hamburg, launched in 1999, departs with the 15 other boats during the second start (June 29), Holst and his crew will have spent close to three weeks in Newport making their final preparations for the race. "Probably we'll be the youngest crew in the race this year and we're really curious what the race will bring," said Holst. "In long distance racing everything is possible, so let's see what a young crew will achieve with an 'old' boat." Learning of the German entry in the Transatlantic Race 2011 was all the motivation Ralf Steitz, President of the USMMA Sailing Foundation, needed to form the Oakcliff AAOT earlier this year. Steitz brought his long-held desire to establish a youth-driven ocean racing movement to fruition with the backing of other leaders on the U.S. sailing scene, and, once the program was announced, saw 250 applications pour in over four weeks from sailors anxious to seize the opportunity. The average age of the 14 Oakcliff AAOT members who will race aboard Vanquish is 23.75, and, like the young German team, with just a few short months to prepare they will get a crash-course in working as a cohesive unit during their participation in Storm Trysail Club's Around Block Island Race and the Annapolis to Newport Race prior to making the third start (July 3) of the Transatlantic Race 2011. "I really enjoy sailing offshore," said Nate Fast (Noank, Conn.), who will celebrate his 20th birthday two days before starting the race and is the youngest member of Oakcliff AAOT. "I did the 2008 Bermuda Race, which was my introduction to the high level and complexity of offshore sailing. Being the youngest means I have to work that much harder, but that will probably help me because I'll be trying to prove myself. Offshore sailing is a lot of fun and a great experience and I hope to continue with it after this race." Both the American and German teams qualify as youth entries in the Transatlantic Race 2011, meaning that at least 50% of the crew is age 25 or younger on the date of that yacht's start in the race. In addition to respective class honors, the two teams will vie for the Venona Trophy, which will be awarded to the highest placing youth entry. "Of course we want to win this trophy!," said Holst. "But it's going be really hard work for us. The Oakcliff AAOT has a really young but very professional crew (some of them are sailing in the RC44 circuit regularly) and for sure the faster and newer boat. Crossing the finishing line in front of them would be great but probably as hard as beating them by corrected time. Of course we also have quite a lot of experience in offshore sailing but in a different way. The focus in our club lies on good seamanship and education for becoming skilled mariners but this doesn't imply that we're becoming professional offshore sailors. But besides that we're having regular contact with Oakcliff AAOT and are looking forward to meeting them and having fun together in Newport." More about the Transatlantic Race 2011 The Transatlantic Race 2011 is also 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. Each race is weighted equally in overall series scoring with the exception of TR 2011, which is weighted 1.5 times. All entered yachts are scored using their two best finishes in addition to the TR 2011. Awards for the AORS will be presented in November, 2011, at the New York Yacht Club's Annual Awards Dinner in Manhattan. Panel Discussion More About the Sponsors Rolex – Rolex, with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, is one of the world's foremost watchmakers, with an unrivalled reputation for quality craftsmanship. Since its inception in the early 1900s, Rolex has introduced a series of revolutionary innovations, from the first waterproof watch, the Oyster, in 1926, to the first self-winding watch in 1931. This distinguished timepiece is treasured by individuals in every lifestyle. Rolex has always enjoyed a privileged relationship with the sea, the world of sailing and the call of the deep. The spirit and philosophy of the sport are in perfect harmony with values that Rolex holds dear: excellence, precision and team spirit. www.rolex.com Thomson Reuters – Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. It combines industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs 55,000 people and operates in over 100 countries. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges (symbol: TRI). www.thomsonreuters.com Newport Shipyard – Newport Shipyard is unquestionably the center of New England sailing action and this year is no exception with the classic J boats from the 1930s, the Transatlantic Race 2011 and the 25th anniversary of the Bucket. For the most glamorous yachts this side of the Med, downtown dockage, lifts, a dedicated workforce, and every convenience from Belle's Café to a gym, visit www.NewportShipyard.com Perini Navi – Perini Navi is leader in the design and manufacture of blue-water sailing yachts. Famous for their revolutionary automatic sail handling systems and for their unique aesthetics, Perini Navi yachts are among the most celebrated vessels in the world. The company was established in 1982 thanks to the intuition of its founder, Fabio Perini. His great passion for the sea gave him the idea of creating a new breed of sailing yacht, one that could be handled by a single person thanks to a revolutionary sail management system, which is today the state of the art of sailing. www.perininavi.com Peters & May – Leading global marine logistics specialist Peters & May ships over 8,000 boats annually worldwide, by air, sea and road. Peters & May offers transportation solutions for any size of yacht and is the preferred logistics provider of many of the world's premier events and yacht racing teams, transporting yachts, equipment, containers and masts to all international destinations. www.petersandmay.com For more information, visit www.transatlanticrace.org Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TransatlanticRace2011 and Twitter @TransatRace2011 twitter.com/TransatRace2011 TR 2011 Roster of Entries Ambersail, Simonas Steponavicius, Vilnius, Lithuania Media Contacts: Organizing Club Contacts: |
