The Atlantic Cup boats are docked in Portland, and are getting ready for a big weekend of racing in Casco Bay.
The boats will be competing in the final leg of the Atlantic Cup starting Saturday morning.
They started racing on May 26 from Charleston, South Carolina, and are currently in Portland, ready for the inshore races.
They’ll be racing around the islands of Casco Bay on Saturday and Sunday.
“This is an event to [find] out the most all-around sailing group,” race organizer Dave Rearick, a past winner of the prestigious event, told CBS 13 Friday. “The first two legs were just long-distance, offshore races with two people on-board. For this weekend, the crews ramp up to six people on-board, and they race shorter courses in the bay here, Casco Bay. They’ll race around some of the marks that are familiar to the local sailors, not necessarily familiar to these guys. So now they have to deal with close-quarters sailing, the currents, the wind direction, all that stuff, and fight for top honors.
“You have to change your mindset and discipline to race these inshore races,” he continued. “You have to bring on four other people, and build that crew quickly in just a couple of days. And for some of these boats, like Earendil from France, or the guys from Sweden or South Africa, they have to rely on local sailors to help them out. Sometimes there’s a language barrier, too. If you’re really racing for a top podium spot, everybody has to come together pretty quickly.”
The weather this weekend looks beautiful. Both Saturday and Sunday will feature clear sunny skies and temps in the 70s.
The inshore races are Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
On Thursday, the racing boats were opened up for area children to visit and learn about.
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