As we put together this week’s Cruising Compass in Newport, RI, just 70 miles offshore the two leaders of The Ocean Race are battling it out seven miles apart as they race to the finish of the fourth leg from Brazil to Newport. The boat in the lead at this moment is 11th Hour Racing skippered by Charlie Enright of Bristol, RI, so it is not surprising that there is excitement in the air. If you haven’t been following this classic 32,000-mile, round the world sailing marathon, it has had plenty of action, challenges and drama. Two nights ago, in a full Atlantic gale, the European boat Guyot Environmental was dismasted and is now under jury rig and struggling to get into port. This is the second of the five boats in the fleet to lose the rig, which underscores just how challenging this race can be. The race was founded in 1973 as the Whitbread Round the World Race and then in 1991 Volvo became it’s new sponsor. This year’s race has no title sponsor so it became The Ocean Race with a shared theme of protecting the oceans from pollution and global warming. By the time you read this on Thursday morning, the three boats remaining in the fleet will be in Newport and the champagne will have been sprayed. There are still three legs to go before the grand finale in Genoa, Italy, around July 1, and the hope remains that all five boats will make it to the finish line. See the article below for info on seeing the boats in Newport, RI. Check Out The Ocean Race here.
