DaimlerChrysler
North Atlantic Challenge
THEY'RE OFF! - REPORT FROM THE
START
 |
On
June 14, fifty-eight international yachts
started the DaimlerChrysler North Atlantic
Challenge, a 3,600 nautical mile race from
Newport, R.I. to Cuxhaven, Germany. www.dcnac.de
Photo
© Daniel Forster
|
Newport,
R.I. (June 14, 2003) - The much-anticipated start
of the DaimlerChrysler North Atlantic Challenge
began this afternoon in Newport, R.I. when the
fleet of 58 international yachts set off for Cuxhaven,
Germany. The once-in-a-lifetime race across the
North Atlantic will take competitors 3,600 nautical
miles around the Northern end of the British Isles
and into the Elbe River to the finish. The race
is organized by the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein,
of Hamburg, with the support of the New York Yacht
Club (NYYC). A second fleet of five boats will
start on Saturday, June 21.
Hundreds
of spectators took to Newport Harbor and the seawall
surrounding historic Fort Adams to witness the
one of the largest fleets ever assembled for a
transatlantic race. Under the expert eye of the
NYYC race committee, Class I started at 2:00 p.m.
with Zaraffa, the Reichel/Pugh 65 owned by Huntington
"Skip" Sheldon of Shelburne, Vt., taking
a commanding lead of the 26-boat fleet. The 32
yachts in Class II started ten minutes later.
All yachts are equipped with InmarSat D+ tracking
devices and hourly positions will be broadcast
on the event's website www.dcnac.de.
Ten
countries are represented in the fleet: Antigua,
Belgium, Canada, Grand Cayman, Czech Republic,
Great Britain, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and
United States.
After
finishing, the yachts will continue onto Hamburg,
where the city is hosting a maritime festival
to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Hamburgischer
Verein Seefahrt, a long-standing sailing club
based in Hamburg, GER. Over 150,000 visitors per
day are expected in the historic seaport during
the weeklong celebration.
Other
sponsors of the race include Holsten Brewery,
Deutsche Bank, SAP, World of TUI, Hanseboot International
Boat Show from Hamburg, and Marinepool.
Additional
information and news about the DaimlerChrysler
North Atlantic Challenge is available on the Internet
at: www.media-DCNAC.de
or www.DCNAC.de
Additional
information and news from DaimlerChrysler is available
on the Internet at: www.media.daimlerchrysler.com
