The Atlantic Cup

[Rail Meat]

Well I been workin' every night, travelin' every day.

Yes I been workin' every night, traveling every day.

You can tell your other man, sweet daddy's on his way.

 

Aww, ya better believe.

Well I'm Southbound.

Whoa I'm Southbound.

Well you can tell your other man, Sweet daddy's on his way.

The mighty Dragon shoved off from Mystic about an hour and half ago, with Rob Windsor and Chris Mueseler on the helm. She is bound for Charleston and the start of the 2012 Atlantic Cup. At the moment she is in Block Island Sound, making almost 9 knots and headed for Mountauk and the open ocean. You can track her progress via AIS on www.marinetrafic.com, at least until she gets a bit further off shore.

After a very cool inagural event last year, the Atlantic Cup is gonna be kick ass this year. The organizers have added a new leg from Charleston to New York. At 620 miles or so, it provides a challenging lead-in for the tactical offshore leg from NYC to Newport and then the in-shore racing in Newport. Dragon managed to snatch a first place last year in the first leg, only to be spanked badly when it came to the inshore racing. Definitely something we plan on fixing for this year, but the bar has been raised very high in 2012. There are eleven boats signed up for the Atlantic Cup so far, and a few more possibilities in the wings. Follow the events leading up to the start at the Atlantic Cup web site. While you are there, don't forget to vote for Dragon in the on-line poll!

With the top boats in the European fleet participating in the events this year, nothing is going to come easy. To get ready, Dragon went in the water two weeks ago and is headed down to Charleston early to provide some warmer weather training opportunities. She is going to be at the City Marina for the next month, so if you are in the neighborhood drop on by.

 

[chrisdowling]

You forgot to mention that this was just practice leading up the Greenport Ocean Race!!!

 

[Icedtea]

Good luck man, if you're stuck for crew.....

 

[mr_ryano]

I'm excited to be one of the media crews for this event. Each boat will have a MCM similar to the VOR. For all you offshore fans, what's going to makw for the most compelling media content? What do you like about the Volvo MCM content and what can be better? Help us make a better viewing event for you!

 

[Haligonian Winterr]

I'm excited to be one of the media crews for this event. Each boat will have a MCM similar to the VOR. For all you offshore fans, what's going to makw for the most compelling media content? What do you like about the Volvo MCM content and what can be better? Help us make a better viewing event for you!

Personally I like to see the human side of the crew, the laughter, the tears, the little inside jokes between the guys (or gals). Also the procedure surrounding maneuvers, gybing, tacking, reefs/sail changes etc. along with different driving aspects when they get into big seas.

HW

 

[Foghorn77]

I'm excited to be one of the media crews for this event. Each boat will have a MCM similar to the VOR. For all you offshore fans, what's going to makw for the most compelling media content? What do you like about the Volvo MCM content and what can be better? Help us make a better viewing event for you!

Congrats Ryano.

I like the stories about the routines and how you deal with the day to day stuff like eating ,repairs, hygiene,shift rotations, and the things you take for granted in normal life.The stuff HW said above is good. Also the shtf condition stuff is always great.I look forward to it. Do you have any links to where you'll be posting?

 

[Mung Breath]

Success, Mike!

 

[tom312]

Is this (Atlantic Cup) going to be in the same port (Charleston) at nearly the same exact time (middle of May) as the GOR fleet???

What's that about?

 

[Rail Meat]

You forgot to mention that this was just practice leading up the Greenport Ocean Race!!!

True. Although one could say that my entire sailing career, nay perhaps even life, has been in preparation for the Greenport Ocean Race.

Good luck man, if you're stuck for crew.....

Thanks. Appreciate that, although I am actually all set in that regard.

Success, Mike!

Thanks!

 

[Rail Meat]

Is this (Atlantic Cup) going to be in the same port (Charleston) at nearly the same exact time (middle of May) as the GOR fleet???

What's that about?

Yes, same time and same port.

Hard for me to say since I did not organize either of the races, but I guess one factor is that it is a great destination and has all the elements to make for a good host port.

For the Atlantic Cup, I know the goal has been to have an event that would not conflict with the rest of the calendar and that May was a good window to stage such an event. The goal laso has been to have a multi-stage event, something where each leg would test the sailors in different ways. Sort of like the Figaro in that respect. The addition of the Charleston to NYC leg was a natural extension in service of that idea. The fact that it coincided with the GOR in Charleston at the same time was a lucky coincidence.

It definitely makes it easy for the person who might be interested in checking out what the Class 40 is all about to get a good eyeful of a large number of boats at one time!

 

[mr_ryano]

I'm excited to be one of the media crews for this event. Each boat will have a MCM similar to the VOR. For all you offshore fans, what's going to makw for the most compelling media content? What do you like about the Volvo MCM content and what can be better? Help us make a better viewing event for you!

Congrats Ryano.

I like the stories about the routines and how you deal with the day to day stuff like eating ,repairs, hygiene,shift rotations, and the things you take for granted in normal life.The stuff HW said above is good. Also the shtf condition stuff is always great.I look forward to it. Do you have any links to where you'll be posting?

www.atlanticcup.org is the official site. I'll also be sending stuff here and to Sailing World

 

[MR.CLEAN]

Hey Mike is Museler your crew for the offshores?

 

[kokopelli]

Mike, do you know of any of the US boats which are also competing in the Quebec-St Malo Transat?

Good luck on the Atlantic Cup!

 

[Laser1]

Good luck Mike. Will keep fingers XX'd for a good result in the AC.

Say hi to Rob.

 

[Flying Wasp]

I'm excited to be one of the media crews for this event. Each boat will have a MCM similar to the VOR. For all you offshore fans, what's going to makw for the most compelling media content? What do you like about the Volvo MCM content and what can be better? Help us make a better viewing event for you!

Would love to see some of the technical stuff that you don't see of get access to on your average day-to-day ride. Clean did a piece a while back where they explained the mechanics of a halyard lock and I thought that was pretty interesting. I got the concept a long time ago, but someone walking you through the mechanics of how the thing locks was pretty cool (at least to me). It would also be interesting to point out any hardware, layout thoughts or go-fast pieces that could be applied to your average point-to-point racer. I would imagine these boats have some good examples of trickle-down technology that do not have the unobtanium VOR price tags that could give us something to think about.

 

[Rail Meat]

Hey Mike is Museler your crew for the offshores?

Chris and I are going to be kicking ass for the second leg, and Merf Owen is on-board for the first leg. There is a tiny chance that a work commmitment is going to keep me chained to the desk for the first leg, and if so then Chris is going to step up for me in the first leg with Merf.

The third leg fully crewed team is going to be something to behold - more on that at a later date.

 

[Rail Meat]

Mike, do you know of any of the US boats which are also competing in the Quebec-St Malo Transat?

Good luck on the Atlantic Cup!

Hope things are doing well for you in the PNW - we miss you back east.

It does not look like any of the US boats are going to be doing the Quebec - St Malo, unfortunately. I would love to but I need to recharge the wallet and the vacation bank before doing another transat.

 

[Rail Meat]

Good luck Mike. Will keep fingers XX'd for a good result in the AC.

Say hi to Rob.

Thanks! Rob and I were talking about your bacon sammies the other day.

 

[Icedtea]

I was joking about crew, best of luck, take it home