Nick Halmos and Atlantic Cup Founder Hugh Piggin to co-skipper
Focus on environmental sustainability throughout the race
Le Harve, France – With just five days until the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre, 11thHour Racing teammates Nick Halmos and Hugh Piggin are making final preparations for the 4,730nm double-handed race from Le Havre, France to Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. Piggin and Halmos will co-skipper the Class 40 Cutlass/11th Hour Racing. Cutlass/11th Hour Racing won the inaugural Atlantic Cup held in May of 2011. Their campaign sponsored by 11th Hour Racing will demonstrate better ways to race for performance and the environment.
11th Hour Racing is committed to advancing sailing practices that improve the energy profile and performance of racing boats, and increase the personal investment of sailors in the health of our waters. Advancing winning sailing practices one degree at a time, Halmos and Piggin will not use any plastic water bottles, all cleaning products are biodegradable and carbon offsets were purchased to cover the crew’s transportation.
Furthermore, Cutlass/11th Hour Racing is outfitted with a hydro-generator, which will be utilized to provide all on-board energy needs during the race. Hugh Piggin stated, “the goal is to not burn a single ounce of fossil fuel from when the boat leaves the dock in LeHarve until it arrives in Puerto Limon. Up until recently it was unheard of to cross an ocean without burning any fossil fuel and with 11th Hour Racing’s partnership, this and other sustainable practices on the water are becoming a reality.”
11th Hour Racing Program Director Jeremy Pochman stated, “Our purpose is to promote the widespread usage of new technologies, both environmentally conscious and performance enhancing on the racecourse. In their TJV campaign, Cutlass/11th Hour Racing is acting as a role model to demonstrate that smart choices benefit the performance of the boat and the marine environment.”
The TJV will also offer a unique opportunity to test Cityblooms technology in the harsh environment of the mid-Atlantic. Cityblooms is an urban farming start-up founded by Nick Halmos. Halmos stated that, “Hugh and I will be putting to sea with what might be the world’s first carbon fiber hydroponic system”. By using the hydro-generator to produce fresh water, the duo will attempt to grow a fresh arugula and broccoli microgreen salad in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. In doing so they will demonstrate sustainable organic farming with techniques that are light enough to be used aboard a high-tec racing yacht without a sacrifice in performance.
Hugh Piggin, 36, is no stranger to the short-handed sailing scene. Originally from Auckland, New Zealand, he is the only Kiwi competing in this year’s Transat Jacques Vabre. Piggin has logged over 100,000 miles, 7 Transatlantic crossings, 4 Newport-Bermuda races, a Transatlantic record attempt, a Cross Channel record and Two Northern Ocean Racing Trophy titles. In 2008, he co-founded Manuka Sports Event Management and is now the race director for The Atlantic Cup, the only dedicated Class 40 race in the United States. He has twice prepared boats for the TJV, including class winner Gryphon Solo in 2007, however, this will be his first attempt as a competitor.
Nick Halmos, 32, a Palm Beach Florida native, currently residing in Santa Cruz, CA, is one of two Americans entered in the TJV. Halmos was the captain of the Brown University sailing team and has been campaigning the Class 40 Cutlass since he brought the boat to the United States in 2009. Since then he has won the 2009 Bermuda 1-2, the Halifax Race and the Ida Lewis Distance Race among others. Halmos, has always been keen to race in something longer. He states, “if you are an American and want to get better at short-handed ocean racing at some point you will have to race with the French. The TJV is one of the great ocean races and if you’re into short-handed sailing this is one of the top races in the world to do.”
With the village open in Le Havre and the start fast approaching, Halmos and Piggin discussed their goals on the upcoming race.
Nick Halmos
“ The energy in the race village is infectious as the teams prepare for the coming adventure. I can look around and tell that we are surrounded by fierce competitors yet that common trait creates a great atmosphere of camaraderie. While our number one goal is to get to Costa Rica intact, we also must sail a very smart race in order to finish well. A little luck won’t hurt either.”
Hugh Piggin
“The scene in France thus far has been nothing short of spectacular. The public interest is phenomenal and it is great to be among some of the top short-handed sailors in the world.
But, my attention is focused on the race and performing as best as possible. There are three major challenges to doing a race like this: getting to the start line, getting to the finish and leaving as few miles on the course as possible. Our number one goal is to get to Costa Rica, but while we’re racing we need to sail well enough to beat our competitors. We’re going to sail the boat as hard as we can and try to keep it in one piece, but as this is our first Class 40 race of this scale we have no yardstick to determine how we’ll do against our competition, however we’re going out there and we’re going to give it hell!”
