Dragon (the only team to have competed in all 4 editions of the Atlantic Cup) will be raced by Michael Hennessy and Rob Windsor. This will be third time Mike and Rob have teamed up for the Atlantic Cup. Their best finish was 2nd place in the 2011 race. Talking about the competition and his boat, Michael said, “Joe Harris has yet to quit and Ed Cesare has proven to have a very fast learning curve. But Dragon has gone through a comprehensive refit over the past 6 months and her modifications reflect the lessons of racing her for the past 4 years. She is better than ever!”

Michael is beginning an aggressive 2014 campaign including the Atlantic Cup, Newport-Bermuda, a trans-atlantic delivery and the Route du Rhum. Rob is coming off a disappointing finish in the 2013 Transat Jacques Vabre, but is looking to rebound with a very busy summer Class 40 race calendar. With a lighter rig, added offshore miles and the team’s tactical experience, Dragon is looking to breakthrough in 2014 and achieve Atlantic Cup glory.

Gryphon Solo 2 will be raced by Joe Harris and Class 40 newcomer Patrick O’Connor. Currently rehabbing a torn achilles tendon, Joe was asked about his comment last year that it takes “true grit” to separate yourself in a race like the Atlantic Cup, “I’m out to prove that’s true, it’s going to take more than a torn Achilles tendon to sideline me. No doubt, we’re a team to watch.”

This will be Pat’s first full Atlantic Cup race, he has raced in two of the Inshore Series; with GS2 in 2013 and Icarus in 2012. This will be the third Atlantic Cup for Gryphon Solo 2, Joe’s best finish was 3rd place in the 2012.

Similar to Dragon, Gryphon Solo 2 is looking learn from past tactical mistakes to enhance their strategy this year. Both team members boast an impressive spread of offshore miles logged, plus Pat’s experience in past Inshore Series will make them a threat in Narragansett Bay. If Gryphon Solo 2  avoids routing mistakes, especially around Block Island, we can look for them on the podium.