New York Yankees is America’s Favorite Baseball Team for 8th Year
Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves Come in 2nd and 3rd
As we reach the mid-point of the baseball season, it’s time for the All-Star game and for reflections on the sport as a whole. So far in the 2010 Major League Baseball season, pitching has been the star performer, with some memorable perfect games, including the one that was, but wasn’t, and the debut of the Washington Nationals’ young phenom.
But, one thing remains the same when it comes to baseball. Among those who follow the sport, the New York Yankees again win the honor of “America’s Favorite“, as they have each year since 2003. In the second spot on the list are their long time arch-rivals, the Boston Red Sox, followed by the Atlanta Braves at number three; both of these teams’ positions are unchanged from last year.
Rounding out the top five are the Philadelphia Phillies at number four, rising from 7th place last year, and the Chicago Cubs, who may not win pennants, but do win a lot of hearts.
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,227 adults surveyed online between June 14 and 21, 2010 by Harris Interactive. Read more
The New York – Barcelona transoceanic sailing record vessels are ready to sail
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.
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.
Source: Fundacio Navegacio Oceanica Barcelona
Barcelona and New York organize the first attempt at a Sailing Record between the two cities
The NY-BCN Transoceanic Sailing Record is an initiative by the Fundacio Navegacio Oceanica Barcelona (FNOB) with the collaboration of the NYC Sports Commission
The NY-BCN record will highlight New York City and Barcelona as important capitals for major sports events
An Avelino Pi photographic exhibition and a project involving students from Barcelona and New York are at the core of a cultural and educational program
At the event portal www.ny-bcn.org viewers will be able to follow the attempted record on a daily basis from the start in an Atlantic city to the finish in a Mediterranean one
Two cities, two boats and 3900 nautical miles to sail. In April, New York City and Barcelona will strengthen their sporting and cultural ties even further with a new oceanic challenge. The NY-BCN Transoceanic Sailing Record will establish a record for sailing between the two cities. Organized by the Fundacio Navegacio Oceanica Barcelona (FNOB) along with the collaboration of the New York City Sports Commission, the event will make New York and Barcelona the first Atlantic and Mediterranean cities to join forces in creating their own record attempt.
Pere Alcober, Sports Councillor for Barcelona City Council and president of the Fundacio Navegacio Oceanica Barcelona (FNOB) today announced the NY-BCN Transoceanic Sailing Record at the Barcelona Town Hall. The regatta will start at the Ambrose Light mark at Sandy Hook, New Jersey between April 5th and the 12th and will arrive at the W Hotel in the port of Barcelona between April 20th and the 30th. The exact departure date will be determined by weather conditions that the sailors consider most suitable for the fastest crossing. Besides the NYC Sports Commission, the project involves the New York Yacht Club and the Real Club Nautico de Barcelona.
The two boats competing to set the record will be the IMOCA Open 60s Estrella Damm and W Hotels, two sister vessels each with one Spanish and one North American skipper on board, making the transatlantic competition completely equal.
Barcelona City Hall Sports Councillor Pere Alcober explained: “This new transoceanic challenge is an important part of the FNOB’s main objective, which is to encourage high-profile projects in the world of offshore sailing, such as the Barcelona World Race. Besides the sporting element the new NY-BCN record also has important cultural and educational aspects.”
Avelino Pi exhibit and Robert Llimos sculpture are part of the cultural program
To strengthen the ties between New York City and Barcelona the South Street Seaport Museum in New York will host the exhibition “Avelino Pi, fotografo olimpico” (Avelino Pi, Olympic photographer), which focuses on offshore sailing and includes thirty of the pioneering artist’s works. Produced by the FNOB and the Fundacio Barcelona Olimpica, the exhibition will be shown from March 25th to the end of April.
The finishing touch of the cultural program is the trophy that will be awarded to the winner of the race, which is a reproduction of Robert Llimos’ sculpture Miraestels. An exhibition showcasing documents and audiovisual materials about the NY-BCN record will be held in New York’s World Financial District from March 25th to April 4th.
Students from New York and Barcelona participate in the educational program
The NY-BCN Transoceanic Sailing Record will include an extensive educational program aimed at promoting the culture of sailing to first and second year students at schools throughout Barcelona and New York City. The program will involve classroom activities, the ability to follow the race online, videoconferences with the sailors, exchanges between schools from both cities and in-person meetings with the skippers.
In January the web site www.ny-bcn.org was launched, where it will be possible to closely follow the competition on a daily basis from start to finish. The web site will also publish the latest news and up-to-date reports throughout the challenge, expert weather analysis, position charts, videos and photographs of the boats.
Fundacio Navegacio Oceanica Barcelona (FNOB)
The Fundacio Navegacio Oceanica de Barcelona (FNOB) was established in 2005 with the aim of enhancing awareness of the culture of the sea. To achieve this objective, the FNOB, whose partners are the Barcelona City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce, the Port and the Fira de Barcelona, created the Barcelona World Race, a non-stop round-the-world two crew sailing regatta, whose second edition will start on 31 December 2010.
New York City Sports Commission
Created in 1986 for the New York Town Hall, the New York City Sports Commission is a municipal organization responsible for attracting, creating, and promoting sporting events to foster the development of amateur and professional sports throughout the City’s five boroughs, to provide its residents and visitors with a range of attractive sports events, and to promote the city’s economy.
Source: Fundacio Navegacio Oceanica Barcelona (FNOB)