Gryphon Solo 2 wins 2014 Atlantic Cup after tie-breaker

The 2014 Atlantic Cup presented by 11^th Hour Racing Winner Gryphon  Solo 2

#39 Pleiad Racing wins the inshore Series and secures 3^rd place overall.

#116 JeffreyMacFarlane.com secures 2^nd place in team’s first race together in Class 40

NEWPORT, R.I. – #106 – Gryphon Solo 2 skippered by Joe Harris and Patrick O’Connor, held on to first place overall in the 2014 Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing after a tight weekend of inshore racing. Both Gryphon Solo 2 and #116 – JeffreyMacFarlane.com were tied at the end of racing today, however per the Notice of Race, all ties are broken in favor of the boat with the most points earned among the two offshore legs, which was Gryphon Solo 2. The weather on day 1 of the inshore series delivered wind speeds consistently in the upper teens, but in day 2 the wind was variable from 7-12 knots making for a challenging two days of inshore racing in Narragansett Bay. #39 Pleiad Racing dominated the inshore series by winning three of the five races, en route to securing third overall.

Gryphon Solo 2 bested the field during the first offshore leg (Charleston, S.C. to N.Y. Harbor) and placed 3^rd in the second leg (N.Y. Harbor to Newport, R.I.). JeffreyMacFarlane.com finished 1^st in the second leg and 4^th in the first leg. Both teams finished the overall racing with 31 total combined points. However, per the Notice of Race, the tie is broken in favor of the team scoring the most points in the offshore legs, which was Gryphon Solo 2. With the victory Gryphon Solo 2 claims $4,000 of the $15,000 purse, one of the largest in sailing in the United States.

106-Gryphon Solo 2 Skipper Joe Harris: “It feels great, we really got off on the right foot by winning leg one. Going into the inshore series, I was nervous because the boat is very fussy; less than 8 knots and she doesn’t want to go more than 8 knots and she gets up and starts flying. This is my third Atlantic Cup, I got third place in 2012, 4^th last year, so to have a win this year is terrific, the level of competition was extremely high, so it’s a really satisfying win”

Jeff MacFarlane, Skipper of #116 – www.JeffreyMacFarlane.com said, “I was really impressed with the boat and our crew, we didn’t make a lot of bad decisions this weekend. I’m happy, the boat was going fast especially considering after the first leg where things weren’t looking good overall, but we really were able to get it going. It’s tough to lose in a tie-break, but it this is good overall.”

Hugh Piggin, Manuka Sports Event Management Founder and Atlantic Cup Race Director – “Once again we are very proud to have a terrific team with us to put together another successful event. A huge amount of effort goes into making this event a success from all of our sponsors, volunteers and staff. Every year I think competition can’t get any closer, but it does which goes to show how great this style of racing really is. We congratulate all of the competitors especially Gryphon Solo 2 in winning one of the closest grand prix regattas in the U.S.”

About the 2014 Atlantic Cup

The Atlantic Cup presented by 11^th Hour Racing is a dedicated professional Class 40 race held annually in the U.S. that focuses on being environmentally responsible and aims to be completely carbon neutral. The five-team field will depart Saturday, May 10 from Charleston, South Carolina and race double-handed 685 miles offshore to New York City. Following a brief stop-over in New York, teams will depart from North Cove Marina Saturday, May 17 to race 240-miles to Newport, R.I. The Atlantic Cup is the longest offshore race along the east coast of the United States. In Newport, competitors will take part in a two-day inshore series with a crew of six. The crew with the combined highest score from all three legs will be the Atlantic Cup Champion. For more on the Atlantic Cup and its Green Initiatives, visit www.atlanticcup.org.

 For More Images of the Atlantic Cup 2014  PHOTOS by George Bekris Click HERE