right whale 800Newport, R.I. USA (June 28, 2011) –After two nights at sea, Robert Foreman’s Hinkley 42, Jacqueline IV, leads on the water and after time correction.  However, having completed over 50,000 miles of ocean sailing, the highly experienced owner, who hails from Bayshore, N.Y., knows that this is a marathon not a sprint. 

One of the principle keys to success in the Transatlantic Race 2011 will be predicting the weather and reacting in the correct way to maximize that knowledge.  The crew aboard Dawn Star blogged that light winds are expected today which may account for their move north of the rhumb line.  The C&C 46, skippered by William Hubbard III and William Hubbard IV (both N.Y., N.Y.), may well be trying to get to the thermal wind activity that could be found off the coast of Maine and Nova Scotia.  This move was not possible earlier in the race due to a “no-go” zone put in place by the race committee to protect the right whale feeding area.

With only 400 in existence, the North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis, which means whale of the ice) are among the most endangered whales in the world and are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.  Vessel strikes and entanglement in fixed fishing gear are the two greatest threats to their recovery.  The crew aboard the Army Sailing Association’s British Soldier reported spotting a glimpse of a whale in their blog.  Hopefully there will be more sightings of these rare creatures.