The New York - Barcelona Transoceanic Sailing Record Vessels are Ready to Sail

NEW YORK, March 26 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York-Barcelona Transoceanic Sailing Record countdown has begun. Hundreds of New Yorkers gathered at the World Financial Center's Winter Garden to take part in the inauguration of the Transoceanic Sailing Exhibit that includes a series of events throughout the city from March 26th through April 3rd, all leading up to the establishment of the first sailing record between New York and Barcelona. Two IMOCA Open 60s, the W Hotels and Estrella Damm, will leave New York harbor between April 5th through April 12th to arrive in Barcelona between April 20th and 30th.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100326/NY77176 )

Mike Hopper, Vice President of Sports Marketing of the New York City Sports Commission and Andor Serra, Managing Director of Fundacio Navegacio Oceanica Barcelona (FNOB), were part of the ribbon cutting celebration. Surrounding them was an audiovisual exhibit featuring information about the record, located across the North Cove Marina where the competing vessels are moored since Tuesday.

Both team's skippers participated in the presentation: Alex Pella, Pepe Ribes and Stan Schreyer with Estrella Damm; and Pachi Rivero, Antonio Piris and Peter Becker with W Hotels. The New York Yacht Club, which is collaborating with the project, picked Edward Cesare as reserve skipper for both teams.

Both teams are also getting ready for an in-shore regatta to take place on April 3rd in New York harbor. The regatta will allow both vessels to measure their strength before embarking on their 3,750 nautical mile journey.

The departure of the vessels to Barcelona will take place between April 5th and the 12th, depending on the weather conditions that the skippers consider more appropriate for the fastest crossing. The winning team will receive the Prince of Asturias and Girona trophy, designed specifically for the occasion.

A cultural and educational program

Among the activities preceding the beginning of the record, the Sea & Olympics, Avelino Pi, Photography exhibit can be seen at the South Street Seaport Museum. The pictures focus on oceanic sailing with more than thirty pictures from one of the pioneers of sports photography in Spain. The exhibit is part of the NY-BCN record cultural program and is complemented by the NY-Barcelona Jazz Jam Session that will bring together a renowned quintet group from New York and Barcelona on April 2nd at the Jazz Standard in New York.

The Educational Program has also begun aimed at spreading the culture of sailing to first and second year students at schools throughout Barcelona and New York. The program will involve classroom activities and videoconferences with the sailors who have already visited the Brooklyn Harbor School. The students will also visit the boats tomorrow.

For more information about the event please visit www.ny-bcn.org. The site will also have a live streaming of the record, with daily updates every four hours.

Press information; please contact Carolina Rincon at 646-367-3371 or [email protected].

SOURCE Fundacio Navegacio Oceanica Barcelona