Acadia

Acadia. Crossing an Ocean Single-Handed. , When Clay Burkhalter was growing up in nearby Stonington Harbor, he never dreamed he would someday build a boat, sail it alone across the ocean, and become one of only five Americans to complete a grueling race named the Mini Transat. Burkhalter began racing sailboats at age five with his uncle Rod Johnstone, noted yacht designer and founder of J-Boats Inc. After graduating from the University of Connecticut, he found work in and around boats, making his passion his career. Looking for more significant challenges, he began thinking about solo offshore racing in what are known as "Mini Transat sailboats." Clay's goal was simple: "to win the 2007 Mini Transat race on a US-designated and US-built boat with a US sailor at the helm.", The Mini Transat is a demanding race both mentally and physically, with cramped quarters that never dry, 20-minute naps instead of actual sleep, and the need to constantly handle sails day and night. But Burkhalter was confident in his boat and in his skill as a mariner., The Atlantic Ocean race is over 4,000 miles long and to qualify, Burkhalter needed to sail a series of shorter solo offshore races. In 2006, he sailed the 2,500-mile route of Les Sables, France, Azores, Les Sable. Among other challenges, he broke his mast 700 miles into the race. With crude repairs to the rig, he sailed the Azores leg within the time limit but did not complete the race., After receiving a new mast and other modifications, he began training in Acadia for the 2007 Mini Transat. Finishing 12th in a field of 84 boats, he was then only the fifth American to have completed the race. There is no prize for winning. The reward is the accomplishment of meeting the extreme challenge and the spirit of cooperation and camaraderie among participants., Today Burkhalter races just as enthusiastically in addition to pursuing photography and running a successful local restaurant operation., The Transat 6.50, known as the "Mini Transat" race, was conceived in the 1970s to promote affordable transatlantic offshore racing. While the overall size of participating boats is limited to 21' (6.5 m), designers are free to "push the limits of innovation." Acadia was designed by Rod Johnstone and built by Burkhalter and Johnstone over six months, working seven days a week. With a beam (width) of 9.84' (3 m), draft of 6.74' (2 m), and "swinging keel," it is built of a combination of carbon fiber, epoxy, and foam core. Acadia's mast is 40 feet (12.2 m) and sail area 1,200 square feet (111.5 square m). Its fastest recorded speed is 17.5 knots.