Transatlantic Race 2011: Newport, RI to the Lizard, Plymouth

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 - Sat, 16 Jul 2011

The Transatlantic Race, from Newport, RI to the Lizard, west of Plymouth, England, will offer staggered starts from June 26th-July 3rd, 2011 , and is for Racing, Racing/Cruising and Classic monohull yachts with a minimum length overall (LOA) of 40 feet.

The minimum crew number is four. There are no maximums.

A separate class for racer/cruisers will be offered for Superyachts with LOA greater than 100 feet. Other class assignments will be determined by the yachts that are participating. The Transatlantic Race 2011 is principally for yachts rated under IRC, but level-racing classes such as Volvo 70, IMOCA 60 and Class40 may be included at the discretion of the organizing yacht clubs.

The New York Yacht Club at its Harbour Court Clubhouse in Newport, RI, and the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, England will welcome participating yachts at scheduled events on departure and arrival.

Prizes will be awarded for class and division finishes, for individual and team entries and will be suitable for a race of this magnitude. Corrected times and line honors will be recognized.

The New York Yacht Club, Royal Yacht Squadron, Royal Ocean Racing Club and Storm Trysail Club, also announce a complementary companion series: the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series 2011, in concert with the following clubs: Royal Malta Yacht Club, Carolina Yacht Club, Annapolis Yacht Club, Ida Lewis Yacht Club, Montego Bay Yacht Club, Lauderdale Yacht Club, Naval Academy Sailing Squadron, Jamaica Yachting Association, Charleston Ocean Racing Association and Antigua Yacht Club.

There will be eight races in the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series. Three races, including the Transatlantic Race 2011, will be required to qualify. Races will be weighted equally with the exception of the Transatlantic Race 2011 that will be weighted 1.5 times. Cox-Sprague points will be awarded within individual races in the series to accommodate differences in fleet sizes. A yacht will be scored in the series using its two best finishes in addition to the Transatlantic Race 2011.

The eight qualifying races and their starting dates are:
Pineapple Cup - Montego Bay Race
February 5, 2011
RORC Caribbean 600
February 21, 2011
Ft. Lauderdale to Charleston Race
end March/early April, 2011
Annapolis to Newport Race
June 3, 2011
Transatlantic Race 2011
June 26 through July 3, 2011
Rolex Fastnet Race
August 14, 2011
Biscay Race September, 2011
Rolex Middle Sea Race
October 22, 2011

Participation in each qualifying race will be subject to the NOR and Sailing Instructions as established by that race’s sponsoring yacht club or clubs.
Yacht clubs may enter teams in the Atlantic Ocean Racing Series and will accordingly be included as participating yacht clubs.
Prizes will be awarded for individual and team entries and will be suitable for a series of this magnitude. The Atlantic Ocean Racing Trophy will be awarded to the overall winner.

More information is available on the web at: www.transatlanticrace.org