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Champion Sailor & Md. Native Races In Quantum Key West

KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) -- Champion sailor Terry Hutchinson had expected to spend this week preparing for the 34th America's Cup.

Instead, the Annapolis, Md., native will race aboard a Farr 40-class monohull at the five-day Quantum Key West 2013 sailing regatta, which begins Monday off the Florida Keys.

Hutchinson was fired last month as skipper and helmsman of Artemis Racing, the Swedish syndicate competing for the cup. So he didn't hesitate when friend Jim Richardson asked him to sail the Boston resident's Farr 40, dubbed Barking Mad.  Hutchinson spent the past two years learning to maneuver speedy wing-sail, multihull boats. He will now serve as tactician on the smaller monohull.

"I really enjoy sailing with Jim and I've always loved coming to Key West, so it was kind of a no-brainer," Hutchinson said.

The regatta's fleet of 121 boats is divided into 11 different classes. Organizers hope to complete 10 races by Friday afternoon.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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