DaimlerChrysler
North Atlantic Challenge
BIGGER, FASTER FIVE JOIN RACE
ACROSS ATLANTIC
Newport,
R.I. (June 21, 2003) - Five of the world's most
exotic yachts departed Newport today at 2:10 p.m.
(EDT) in the final group of entries in the DaimlerChrysler
North Atlantic Challenge: Zephyrus V, owned by
Robert McNeil of San Francisco, Calif.; Windrose,
owned by Chris Gongriep of the Netherlands; UCA,
owned by Klaus Murmann of Germany; Team888, the
re-named Kingfisher, chartered by Mark Denton
and Jonny Malbon of the U.K.; and HSH Nordbank,
the re-named and chartered Morning Glory. The
five speedsters started the race in 10-12 knot
winds under cloudy skies on Newport Harbor and
within minutes Zephyrus V quickly charged ahead,
leaving the large spectator fleet behind in its
wake. The first group of 57 yachts started on
June 14 in this 3,600 nautical mile race across
the Atlantic Ocean to Cuxhaven, Germany.
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Team888.
Photo by Daniel Forster
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The
New York Yacht Club race committee started the
race ashore at Fort Adams State Park, with a starting
line across Newport Harbor.
Before
departing Newport, Ian Moore of the U.K., a veteran
of illbruck and the navigator onboard the 86-foot
Zephryrus V was looking forward to the race and
predicted a quick trip. "Ten days if we get
the right weather pattern," he said.
Onboard
the 80-foot HSH Nordbank is Adam Ostenfeld, who
competed in five America's Cup campaigns with
Dennis Conner. HSH Nordbank is the former Morning
Glory, owned by Hasso Plattner, that broke records
in the Cape-to-Rio and the Sydney-Hobart races.
"We have put together a great crew, some
professionals, all with good experience,"
said Ostenfeld.
The
brand new 85-foot UCA has 19 crew, including Tim
Kröger, veteran of the French America's Cup
team Le Défi, and four-time around-the-globe
navigator
Juan
Vila from Spain.
The
Open 60 Team888 has six crew onboard. Denton said
that it will be a bit cramped as the boat was
originally designed for one sailor, the petite
powerhouse Ellen MacArthur. "The interior,
everything really, is fit for a five-foot-three
person, so even the nav [sic] station is a tight
squeeze to get into," he said. "We can't
wait to race against some formidable opposition,
on one of the fastest monohulls in the world."
After
the finish, the fleet will continue on to Hamburg
in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the
Hamburgischer Verein Seefahrt, a long-standing
sailing club based there.
Hourly
updates of the fleet are available on www.dcnac.de.
After selecting the language, click on the link
labeled "ranking list" on the right-hand
side of the homepage for detailed data from each
yacht including location, speed and fleet position
based on handicap ratings.
Additional
information and news about the DaimlerChrysler
North Atlantic Challenge is available on the Internet
at: www.DCNAC.de
