BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK — THE INAUGURAL EDITION of The Ocean Race Atlantic sets sail from Brooklyn Bridge Marina on Tuesday, with six international teams in foiling IMOCA 60 sailboats embarking on a 3,200-nautical-mile race across the Atlantic to Lorient, France.
A Sailors Parade led by the 75-strong Naugatuck High School Marching Band from Connecticut will salute the sailors at 10:30 a.m. At 11:30 a.m. the ships depart to the official starting position, 150 miles away from the city’s busy shipping lanes.
Teams represent the USA, Germany, France, Japan, New Zealand and Switzerland. The 60-foot foiling sailboats, capable of speeds upwards of 40 knots, are crewed by two women and two men, plus an on-board reporter.
While racing, the racing yachts will also serve as ocean research vessels, gathering thousands of measurements from the Gulf Stream.
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