11th Hour Racing Team Sets Sail for France From Newport - Will Return in 2023 as Part of Ocean Race
Monday, August 01, 2022
11th Hour Racing Team, the United States entry in The Ocean Race 2022-23, set off from its homeport of Newport, Rhode Island on Sunday, bound for France, after two months of community engagement and racing in the State.
In July, GoLocalProv joined the crew onboard the 60-foot IMOCA race boat Mālama in Newport.
READ: In Just 6 Months, the Global Ocean Race Kicks Off and Rhode Island Is America’s Host
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTNext stop for the team is Concarneau, France to complete a final training program in Europe ahead of the start of the 36,500-mile around the world race starting from Alicante, Spain on January 15, 2023.
Onboard the Mālama for the 10-day transatlantic journey is skipper Charlie Enright (USA), joined by newcomer to the team Jack Bouttell (GBR/AUS), Francesca Clapcich (ITA), Navigator Simon Fisher (GBR) and media crew member Amory Ross (USA).
The Team has been based in Newport for two months, the home of title sponsor, 11th Hour Racing, supporting a range of activities, and sharing their experiences on ocean health and sustainable boat building practices with the local community.
Community Engagement and Preparation
Activities during June’s #OceanHourWeek included an Ocean Hologram Exhibit, creative educational sessions around ocean health in collaboration with The Ocean Race Learning Program, and an on-site premiere with NewportFILM of 11th Hour Racing Team’s new documentary, Under the Hull. This was followed by the Team’s successful participation in the Newport Bermuda Race, arriving into Bermuda second overall, the first monohulll and first in the Open Division.
One of the major highlights of the summer was the team’s tour of Narragansett Bay, dubbed the #BayRally - a three-day tour of Rhode Island by water, visiting local yacht clubs, sailing schools and community boating centers in the region. Mālama and the 11th Hour Racing Team crew used a combination of on the water fly-bys and shore-based activities to interact with the local sailing community.
“It’s hard to believe we have been in Newport for two months already and are about to leave once again. Arriving home is always incredibly special and leaving home particularly hard," said Enright. "Next time we’ll be back here in Rhode Island it will be the Newport stopover in May 2023 and we will be over half way through our round the world race, having rounded all three of the great Capes."
“Rhode Island is where I am from and so to have been home for the past two months, meeting with local schools, the community, and sailing and marine businesses - and to be sharing this with the wider 11th Hour Racing Team who come from all over the world - has been an honor," he added. "We look forward to seeing as many people as possibly when we return next year."
You can follow the 11th Hour Racing Team’s transatlantic progress and updates on social media using the links below:
Website - http://11thhourracingteam.org/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/11thHourTeam/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/11thhourteam/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBM7...
Twitter - https://twitter.com/11thhourteam
