Atlantic Cup sailing race cruises into Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklynites are accustomed to seeing New York Water Taxis, Circle Line Cruises and Staten Island Ferries in New York Harbor, but on Tuesday, onlookers of the city’s waterfront may have been surprised to see numerous 40-foot racing sailboats.
These massive boats are part of the Atlantic Cup, an intense, two-man crew, offshore race held on the eastern seaboard of the U.S. every two years. Eight teams from four different countries are taking part in this year’s competition.
“This particular race is the longest offshore race in the Western Atlantic,” said co-founder of the Atlantic Cup Julianna Barbieri. “We think it is one of the toughest races in the U.S. because it combines both offshore and inshore. Once they get to Portland, they’re going to race for two days around buoys and they have to add additional crew to do that.