Leg 1 - First 24 Hours Update

First 24-Hours Update from The Expert It was a clean start yesterday in Charleston in the 4th Annual Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing. The four Atlantic Cup teams raced across the start line in a 20-25 knot breeze with double-reefed mainsails. #54-Dragon cross the line first, however, #116-JeffreyMacFarlane.com launched to the front of the fleet and led the first and only mark rounding. After the mark rounding the course became a reach to Fort Sumter and a fetch out of the jetties, which saw multiple lead changes. #106 Gryphon Solo 2 was the first team to hoist their spinnaker and enter the ocean. Throughout the evening, the teams were within sight of each other and are still extremely close. It's like synchronized swimming between #106 Gryphon Solo 2, #54 Dragon and #39 Pleiad Racing. All three gybed this morning and are heading straight for Cape Hatteras. #116 Jeffrey MacFarlane took a later gybe and is the furthest east in the Gulf Stream. Will it work? Hard to say. We also just received word, that Jeff and Jake on #116 ripped their big spinnaker (the A2) and are now forced to sail with their smaller kite. With downwind conditions forecast for the remainder of the leg, this sets up a big challenge for team #116. If you see #25 Flatline on your race tracker, that's so you can keep an eye on their progress. The team is due to rendezvous with the fleet and accompany them to New York. . Flatline will be scored as DNS (did not start) and be given 0 points for the first leg. The first leg represents one third of the scoring for the overall Atlantic Cup, so Flatline is still in contention once they join the fleet. Do you have a question for The Expert? Click HERE to submit your question and The Expert will be sure to reply!SATELLITE CALLS WITH THE ATLANTIC CUP TEAMSRace Management has been in communication with all of the teams over the last 24-hours - you can listen to the calls here.TRACK THE RACE HERE

Billy Black and Meagan Beauchemin have you covered on all of the Atlantic Cup action. Take a peek at some of their fantastic images here.