2011 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament
Seeding for the tournament was determined by the conference standings at the end of the regular season, with the last two teams in the standings not qualifying for the tournament. First round games were held at the home of the higher (lower number) seed.


2011 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament
Richmond's victory was the first for the Spiders in ten years as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference, breaking Temple University's string of three consecutive conference tournament championships by defeating the Owls in the semifinals.


2011 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament
Richmond senior point guard Kevin Anderson was named Most Outstanding Player for the tournament, leading all scorers with 66 points over three games, including a game-high 23 points in the championship game. Joining Anderson on the All-Championship Team were teammate Justin Harper, Dayton's Chris Wright and Chris Johnson, and Temple's Lavoy Allen.


2011 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament
The championship game was nationally televised on CBS. Three first round games and both semifinal games were televised nationally by CBS College Sports, while all four quarterfinal games were offered by the network via syndication.


2011 Atlantic 10 Men's Soccer Tournament
The 2011 Atlantic 10 Men's Soccer Tournament will be the postseason tournament of the Atlantic 10 Conference to determine the Atlantic 10 Conference’s champion and automatic berth into the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship.


2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament
The 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament was held at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, NC from May 25 through May 29. All of the games were shown live on Fox Sports South with select games being shown on Fox Sports Florida, Comcast Mid-Atlantic, Sun Sports, and New England Sports Network. Top seeded Virginia won the tournament and earned the Atlantic Coast Conference's automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. It was Virginia's third ACC tournament win and second in three years.


2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament
2011 was the fifth year in which the conference used a round-robin tournament format, with the team with the best record in each group at the end of the three-game round robin advancing to a one-game championship.


2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Tournament, Tournament
Notes† - Denotes extra innings‡ - Denotes game shortened due to mercy rule


2011 Atlantic Coast Conference football season
The 2011 ACC football season is an NCAA football season that will be played from September 1, 2011, to January 4, 2012. The Atlantic Coast Conference consists of 12 members in two divisions. The Atlantic division consists of Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina State and Wake Forest. The Coastal division consists of Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. The division champions will meet on December 3 in the 2011 ACC Championship Game, located in Charlotte, North Carolina at Bank of America Stadium.


2011 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, Preseason, Preseason Poll
The 2011 ACC Preseason Poll was announced at the ACC Football Kickoff meetings in Pinehurst, North Carolina on July 25. Virginia Tech was voted to win Coastal division while Florida State was voted to win the Atlantic division and the conference. Montel Harris of Boston College was voted the Preseason ACC Player of the Year.


2011 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, Coaches
During the offseason, two ACC schools, Maryland and Miami, hired new head coaches. Maryland bought out the last year of 10 year coach, Ralph Friedgen's contract. They hired Randy Edsall who had been the head coach at UConn for 12 years. Miami fired their head coach of 4 years, Randy Shannon, at the conclusion of the Hurricanes' regular season. They in turn hired coach Al Golden, who was the 5 year head coach of Temple.


2011 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, Coaches
In an unexpected turn of events, on July 27, 2011, UNC chancellor Holden Thorp announced that the UNC Board of Trustees decided to dismiss Butch Davis as the head coach of the football team. The announcement came a week before the start of fall training camp. The firing was cited as being due to the investigations by the NCAA into academic fraud, impermissible benefits, and talking to agents in the 2010 season. The next day on the 28th, Everett Withers, the defensive coordinator of the past 3 years, was named as the interim head coach.


2011 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, Coaches
NOTE: Stats shown are before the beginning of the season


2011 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, ACC vs. BCS opponents
The Atlantic Coast Conference had a losing season vs. BCS opponents in 2011 with a record of 8 wins and 13 losses. In rivalry games vs. BCS opponents the ACC went 1-4 with the only win coming from the Florida State Seminoles over the Florida Gators. The ACC also had three teams play Notre Dame in 2011 and recorded a 0-3 record against the Fighting Irish.


2011 Atlantic Coast Conference football season, ACC vs. BCS opponents
NOTE:. Games with a * next to the home team represent a neutral site game


2011 Atlantic Coast Conference men's soccer season
The 2011 ACC men's soccer season is the 29th season of men's college soccer in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The defending regular season champions are the North Carolina Tar Heels and the defending postseason champions are the Maryland Terrapins.


2011 Atlantic Hockey Tournament
The 2011 Atlantic Hockey Tournament was the 8th Atlantic Hockey Tournament played between March 5 and March 19, 2011 at campus locations and at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York. The winner of the tournament received Atlantic Hockey's automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.


2011 Atlantic Hockey Tournament, Format
The tournament features four rounds of play. For the first round, the twelve teams in the league are divided into the two "scheduling pods" used to devise the season schedule. Within each pod, the top two seeds received a bye, while the third and fourth seeds in each pod hosted the fifth and sixth seeds for a single game, with the winners advancing to the quarterfinals.


2011 Atlantic Hockey Tournament, Format
In the quarterfinals, the teams are reseeded without reference to the pods. The top four remaining seeds will host the bottom four remaining seeds in best-of-three series, with the winners advancing to the semi-finals. In the semifinals, the highest and lowest seeds and second-highest and second-lowest seeds will play a single game each, with the winners advancing to the championship game. The tournament champion will receive an automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament.


2011 Atlantic Hockey Tournament, Format, Current standings
Note: GP = Games Played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; PTS = Points; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals AgainstThe overall statistics include postseason games.


2011 Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Tournament
The 2011 Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Tournament was held at Ken Dugan Field at Stephen Lee Marsh Stadium on the campus of Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN from May 25 through 28. Belmont won its first tournament championship to earn the Atlantic Sun Conference's automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.


2011 Atlantic Sun Conference Baseball Tournament, Seeding
The top six teams (based on conference results) from the conference earn invites to the tournament.


2011 Atlantic Sun Conference Men's Soccer Tournament
The 2011 Atlantic Sun Conference Men's Soccer Tournament was the 2011 edition of the tournament, which determines the men's college soccer champion of the Atlantic Sun Conference, as well as the conference's automatic berth into the 2011 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship. The tournament began in mid-November and was won by the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles.


2011 Atlantic Sun Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2011 Atlantic Sun Men's Basketball Tournament was the 33rd edition of the Atlantic Sun Conference (A-Sun)'s Men's Basketball Tournament. It took place from March 2–5, 2011 at the University Center on the campus of Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. The Belmont University Bruins won the tournament, defeating the University of North Florida Ospreys 87-46 in the final.


2011 Atlantic Sun Men's Basketball Tournament, Format
The top eight eligible men's basketball teams in the Atlantic Sun Conference received a berth in the conference tournament. After the 20-game conference season, teams are seeded by conference record. Florida Gulf Coast University and the University of South Carolina Upstate were not eligible to compete due to NCAA reclassification.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season was the second in a group of three very active Atlantic hurricane seasons, each with 19 named storms. The above-average activity was mostly due to a La Niña that persisted during the previous year. Of the season's 19 tropical storms, only seven strengthened into hurricanes, and only four of those became major hurricanes: Irene, Katia, Ophelia, and Rina. The season officially began on June 1 and ended on November 30, dates which conventionally delimit the period during each year in which most tropical cyclones develop in the Atlantic Ocean. However, the first tropical storm of the season, Arlene, did not develop until nearly a month later. The final system, Tropical Storm Sean, dissipated over the open Atlantic on November 11.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season
Due to the presence of a La Niña in the Pacific Ocean, many pre-season forecasts called for an above-average hurricane season. In Colorado State University (CSU)'s spring outlook, the organization called for 16 named storms and 9 hurricanes, of which 4 would intensify further into major hurricanes. On May 19, 2011, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued their pre-season forecast, predicting 12–18 named storms, 6–10 hurricanes, and 3–6 major hurricanes. Following a quick start to the season, NOAA subsequently increased their outlook to 14–19 named storms, 7–10 hurricanes, and 3–5 major hurricanes on August 4; CSU made no changes to the number of cyclones forecast throughout the year.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season
Many tropical cyclones affected land during the 2011 season; most impacts, however, did not result in a significant loss of life or property. On June 29, Arlene made landfall in Mexico near Cabo Rojo, Veracruz, causing over $223 million (2011 USD) damage and killing 22 people. Tropical Storm Harvey moved into the coastline of Central America in mid-August, and three deaths were reported as a result.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season
During the month of September, Tropical Storm Lee and Hurricane Nate moved into the central United States Gulf Coast and central Mexico, respectively; the former led to 18 deaths, and the latter caused 5 fatalities. As an extratropical cyclone, Lee caused significant damage in the form of flooding across the Northeast United States, especially in New York and Pennsylvania. The deadliest and most destructive cyclone of the season developed east of the Lesser Antilles on August 21. Hurricane Irene caused significant impact across some of the Caribbean Islands and United States Eastern Seaboard, leaving about $14.2 billion in damage and resulting in the name's retirement. Overall, the season resulted in 112 deaths and nearly $17.4 billion in damage.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal forecasts
In advance of, and during, each hurricane season, several forecasts of hurricane activity are issued by national meteorological services, scientific agencies, and noted hurricane experts. These include forecasters from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s National Hurricane and Climate Prediction Center's, Philip J. Klotzbach, William M. Gray and their associates at Colorado State University (CSU), Tropical Storm Risk, and the United Kingdom's Met Office. The forecasts include weekly and monthly changes in significant factors that help determine the number of tropical storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes within a particular year.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal forecasts
As stated by NOAA and CSU, an average Atlantic hurricane season between 1981 and 2010 contains roughly 12 tropical storms, 6 hurricanes, 3 major hurricanes, and an accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) Index of 66-103 units. ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time or that are particularly strong hurricanes have high ACEs. It is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 39 mph (63 km/h), the threshold for tropical storm strength. NOAA typically categorizes a season as either above-average, average, of below-average based on the cumulative ACE Index; however, the number of tropical storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes within a hurricane season is considered occasionally as well.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal forecasts, Pre-season forecasts
On December 6, 2010, Tropical Storm Risk (TSR), a public consortium that comprises experts on insurance, risk management and seasonal climate forecasting at University College London, issued an extended-range forecast for the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, calling for tropical cyclone activity roughly 40% above the 1950–2010 average. The team called for 15.6 (±4.3) tropical storms, 8.4 (±3.0) hurricanes, and 4.0 (±1.7) major hurricanes, with a cumulative ACE Index of 141 (±58). Two days later, Colorado State University issued its first extended-range forecast for the 2011 season.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal forecasts, Pre-season forecasts
In its report, the organization predicted an above-average hurricane season with 17 named storms, 9 hurricanes, and 5 major hurricanes. In addition, the team expected an ACE value of approximately 165, citing that El Niño conditions had little chance to develop by the start of the season. The team also predicted that there was a higher chance of a tropical cyclone hitting the United States coastline when compared to 2010. TSR released an updated forecast on April 4, lowering the number of predicted cyclones by one. On April 4, 2011, CSU revised their December forecast slightly, predicting 16 named storms, 9 hurricanes, and 5 major hurricanes.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal forecasts, Pre-season forecasts
On May 19, 2011, NOAA released their first forecast for the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season. The organization expected 12–18 named storms, 6–10 hurricanes, and 3–6 major hurricanes would form in the Atlantic during 2011, citing above-normal sea surface temperatures, a weakening La Niña, and the effect of the warm regime of the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation. NOAA also stated that, when looking at climate models, "activity comparable to some of the active seasons since 1995" could occur. On May 26, the UK Met Office (UKMO) issued a forecast of a slightly above-average season.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal forecasts, Pre-season forecasts
They predicted 13 tropical storms with a 70% chance that the number would fall between 10 and 17. However, they did not – and do not – issue forecasts on the number of hurricanes and major hurricanes. The team also predicted an ACE Index of 151 with a 70% chance that the index would be in the range 89 to 212.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal forecasts, Mid-season forecasts
On June 1, CSU released their mid-season predictions, with numbers unchanged from those published in April. Concurrently, the Florida State University Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (FSU COAPS) issued its third annual Atlantic hurricane season forecast, predicting 17 named storms, 9 hurricanes, and an ACE Index of 163. No prediction for the number of major hurricanes was made. A little over a month later, Weather Services International (WSI) issued their first forecast for the season. A total of 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes were expected to develop for the entirety of the season.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal forecasts, Mid-season forecasts
On August 3, CSU issued a mid-season update, though no change in predictions from their April outlook was made. The following day, NOAA issued their mid-season and final forecast for the season, calling for 14-19 named storms, 7-10 hurricanes, and 3-5 major hurricanes. The increase in numbers when compared to the pre-season forecast was due to the near-record start to the season. TSR also issued their sixth and final outlook on August 4, which increased the number of tropical storms to 16 and the number of hurricanes to 9, but continued to predict that there would be 4 major hurricanes. The final forecast for the 2011 season was issued by WSI on September 21, in which the organization called for 21 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes; the philosophy for the increase in numbers was unchanged from CSU's.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal summary
The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 2011. It was an above average season in which twenty tropical cyclones formed. Nineteen of the twenty depressions attained tropical storm status, tied with 1887, 1995, 2010, and later the 2012 season for the fourth-highest number of named storms since record-keeping began in 1851. Seven of these tropical storms became hurricanes, while four of those hurricanes further intensified into major hurricanes. The season was more active than usual due to lower than average wind shear, warmer than average sea surface temperatures, and the presence of a La Niña. Collectively, the tropical cyclones of this season resulted in nearly $18.5 billion in damage and there were 114 deaths; a majority of it was caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The season officially ended on November 30, 2011.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal summary
Tropical cyclogenesis began in the month of June, with Tropical Storm Arlene forming on June 28. After Arlene dissipated on July 1, there was about a two-week lull in activity, before Bret, Cindy, and Don developed in the latter half of July. August was the most active month of the season, featuring eight tropical cyclones – Emily, Franklin, Gert, Harvey, Irene, Tropical Depression Ten, Jose, and Katia.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal summary
The number of named storms in August was well above the 1944–2010 average of four, and just one short of the record of eight set in 2004 and later in 2012, but the number of hurricanes was below the mean. September was slightly above average, with 5 named storms, 2 hurricanes, and 1 major hurricane and featuring the unnamed tropical storm, Lee, Maria, Nate, Ophelia, and Philippe. Ophelia was the most intense tropical cyclone of the season, peaking as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph (225 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 940 mbar (28 inHg). The next two months featured one system each, with Rina developing in October and Sean forming in November. Sean was the final storm of the season and became extratropical on November 11.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Seasonal summary
The season's activity was reflected with an above-average cumulative ACE rating of 125.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Arlene
A tropical wave emerged into the eastern Atlantic on June 13. Tracking westward, the disturbance remained disorganized prior to reaching the western Caribbean. Cyclonic rotation became increasingly evident on satellite imagery, though organization was halted by the disturbance's passage over the Yucatán Peninsula on June 26. After emerging into the Bay of Campeche, favorable environmental conditions allowed for the development of Tropical Storm Arlene by 18:00 UTC on June 28.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Arlene
Moving generally westward due to the influence of high pressure to the cyclone's north, Arlene gradually intensified, reaching its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (105 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 993 mbar (29.32 inHg) at 12:00 UTC on June 30; the strong tropical storm moved ashore in Mexico near Cabo Rojo, Veracruz, about an hour later. Once inland, the center of circulation became increasingly diffuse, and the storm dissipated over the Sierra Madre Mountains early on July 1.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Arlene
Numerous tropical cyclone watches and warnings were issued for the coastline of Mexico shortly after the formation of Arlene; once inland, all were discontinued. Despite its relatively weak strength, Arlene produced isolated rainfall totals in excess of 9 in (230 mm). High amounts of precipitation led to numerous mudslides and flooding, causing an estimated $223.4 million in damage. A total of 22 deaths were reported in association with Tropical Storm Arlene. Although the center of circulation remained over Mexico, the storm's far-reaching effects brought minimal relief to drought-stricken portions of southern Texas and Florida.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Bret
An area of low pressure formed on the southern extent of a stalled cold front just off the East Coast of the United States on July 16. Tracking south-southeast, the low-pressure center was initially baroclinic in nature, but quickly transitioned into a warm-core low over the warm waters of the western Atlantic. Decreasing vertical wind shear allowed for the development of convection – shower and thunderstorm activity – atop the low-level circulation, and Dvorak satellite classifications were initiated early on July 17 given the organization on satellite imagery.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Bret
Following an aircraft reconnaissance flight into the disturbance that afternoon, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) subsequently classified the system as Tropical Depression Two at 18:00 UTC on July 17 about 100 mi (160 km) northwest of Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. After about six hours, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Bret.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Bret
As the system turned northeastward, the formation of an anticyclone atop Bret's center provided favorable conditions for intensification; accordingly, an eye-like feature and an eyewall – a ring of thunderstorms around the eye where typically the most intense convection associated with a tropical cyclone is located – were noted on microwave satellite imagery during the afternoon hours of July 18. At 18:00 UTC, the system attained its peak intensity with winds of 70 mph (115 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 995 mbar (29.38 inHg). After moving over increasingly cool sea surface temperatures, the cyclone began to gradually weaken.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Bret
Bret weakened to a tropical depression at around 00:00 UTC on July 22 and no longer met the criteria of a tropical cyclone by 12:00 UTC, while positioned approximately 375 mi (605 km) north of Bermuda. Bret left minimal impact in the Bahamas, with rainfall alleviating drought conditions. Precipitation was also generally beneficial on Bermuda, though minor flooding affected some local businesses in poor-drainage areas.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Cindy
On July 17, an area of showers and thunderstorms, associated with the same frontal system that spawned Tropical Storm Bret, consolidated around a developing area of low pressure about 345 mi (555 km) west-southwest of Bermuda. Tracking east-northeastward, the system gradually organized and became better defined. The disturbance produced moderate rains while passing south of the territory, peaking at 1.16 in (29 mm); gusty winds were also observed. At 06:00 UTC on July 20, the low developed into a tropical depression east of Bermuda. Embedded within the mid-latitude westerlies, the depression moved northeast and maintained this general direction for the remainder of its existence.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Cindy
Six hours after formation, the system strengthened into Tropical Storm Cindy. Convection steadily increased over the storm, and a ragged eye-like feature appeared on both visible and microwave satellite imagery. Corresponding with this, Cindy attained its peak intensity late on July 21, with winds of 70 mph (115 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 994 mbar (29.35 inHg). Shortly thereafter, the storm moved over waters cooler than 78.8 °F (26 °C). Throughout July 22, convection diminished and the system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone about 985 mi (1,585 km) southwest of Ireland. The remnants persisted for another 12 hours before degenerating into a trough over the North Atlantic on July 23.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Don
A tropical wave emerged off the western coast of Africa on July 16. Tracking westward, the disturbance produced sporadic convection, but remained disorganized through its passage into the Caribbean on July 23. Once there, showers and thunderstorms began to develop within an environment marginally conducive for tropical cyclogenesis.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Don
A broad area of low pressure formed and consolidated over the northwestern Caribbean Sea, and the NHC subsequently designated Tropical Depression Four on July 27; the system further intensified into Tropical Storm Don at 18:00 UTC. Steered west-northwestward by a subtropical ridge across over the southeastern United States, the cyclone strengthened initially under low wind shear, attaining a peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (80 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 997 mbar (hPa; 29.44 inHg). Despite low shear, Don was met with a significantly more stable environment as it emerged into the Gulf of Mexico.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Don
Convection around the center of the storm gradually diminished as a result of a lack of vertical instability, and a decrease in sustained winds was observed accordingly. Don weakened to a tropical depression as it moved ashore in Texas, along the Padre Island National Seashore, and continued west-northwestward thereafter; the system degenerated into a remnant area of low pressure by 06:00 UTC on July 30. As a tropical cyclone, Don prompted tropical cyclone advisories for the southern Texas coastline.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Don
Due to its abrupt weakening prior to landfall, rainfall totals and wind observations along the warned areas were scarce; a maximum precipitation total of 2.56 in (65 mm) was documented near Bay City, Texas, and a peak wind gust of 41 mph (66 km/h) was recorded at Waldron Field. The storm produced storm surge values lower than 2 ft (0.61 m) as well. No damage was reported.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Emily
A tropical wave emerged off the west coast of Africa on July 25. Tracking westward, the disturbance gradually consolidated as multiple centers of circulation eventually dissipated and a new one formed. A marginally favorable atmospheric environment allowed for convection to develop, and a reconnaissance aircraft flight into the system led to the classification of Tropical Storm Emily around 00:00 UTC on August 2 near Dominica. Turning west-northwestward along the southwest edge of a large subtropical ridge to its northeast, Emily remained relatively disorganized on satellite imagery due to strong westerly wind shear. Despite a large burst of convection south of Hispaniola on August 3, the center of circulation accelerated west-northwestward, with a mid-level center moving inland over the island. At 18:00 UTC the following day, Emily degenerated into a tropical wave.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Emily
The mid-level remnants of Emily continued northwestward, with a new area of low pressure developing over the Bahamas. The low regenerated into a tropical depression at 18:00 UTC on August 6; six hours later, it re-intensified into Tropical Storm Emily. However, strong wind shear exposed the center of circulation once again. At 12:00 UTC on August 7, Emily degenerated into a remnant area of low pressure northeast of the Bahamas. Heavy rainfall and landslides in Martinique damaged 29 homes. One indirect death was reported on the island. In Puerto Rico, flooding and mudslides damaged roads, homes, and crops.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Emily
Additionally, around 18,500 people lost electricity after winds damaged an electrical grid. About $5 million in infrastructural damage occurred. In Dominican Republic, flooding and mudslides left 56 communities isolated and caused three people to drown. Flooding in Haiti damaged over 300 homes and destroyed several cholera treatment centers. One death occurred in the country. The storm brought up to 7.9 in (200 mm) of rainfall to the Bahamas.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Franklin
A low-pressure area developed in association with a slow-moving frontal boundary over western Atlantic on August 10 and August 11. Tracking northeastward in response to deep southeasterly flow, the disturbance was initially slow to organize, but a marked organization of thunderstorm activity took place on August 12. Thus, Tropical Depression Six developed at 18:00 UTC while situated roughly 260 mi (420 km) north of Bermuda. The system brought unsettled weather to island, with rainfall reaching 0.07 in (1.8 mm) at L.F. Wade International Airport.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Franklin
Moving northeastward, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Franklin at 06:00 UTC on August 13, following a large burst of convection over its center. Six hours later, Franklin peaked with winds of 45 mph (70 km/h), before encountering increasing wind shear and decreasing ocean temperatures. Rapid deterioration of the storm's structure took place as environmental conditions became increasingly hostile, with convection being sheared well away from the center. Franklin began acquiring extratropical characteristics and completed its transition into an extratropical cyclone late on August 13. The remnants degenerated into a trough of low pressure early on August 16.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Gert
During the second week of August, a weak low-pressure area, located east of Bermuda, became associated with a synoptic-scale trough. Moving west-southwestward, it interacted with an upper low and eventually developed into a small low pressure by August 13. After the low become very well-defined with a tight circulation and deep convection, it was designated as a tropical depression at 18:00 UTC that day, about 360 mi (580 km) southeast of Bermuda. As the depression curved west-northwestward along the weakening subtropical ridge, it intensified into Tropical Storm Gert early on August 14.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Gert
As Gert neared Bermuda, a small eye-like feature became apparent on radar imagery. Coinciding with this, Gert reached its peak intensity with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h). Passing roughly 90 mi (145 km) east of Bermuda, Gert brought light rain and winds up to 25 mph (40 km/h). By August 16, convection had mostly dissipated due to increasing wind shear and cooler water temperatures, degenerating into post-tropical cyclone about 500 mi (800 km) northeast of Bermuda. The remnant low dissipated well east of Newfoundland on August 17.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Harvey
On August 10, a tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic from the west coast of Africa. After moving westward across the Atlantic and Caribbean for several days, the wave developed into a tropical depression about 100 mi (160 km) east-northeast of Cabo Gracias a Dios at the Honduras–Nicaragua border. Tracking over the warm waters of the northwestern Caribbean, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Harvey while just offshore Honduras. Additional intensification occurred, with Harvey attaining its peak intensity with winds of 65 mph (105 km/h) prior to landfall in Belize on August 20. Harvey weakened to a tropical depression on August 21, but re-intensified to a tropical storm after emerging into the Bay of Campeche. Early on August 22, it made landfall near Punta Roca Partida, Veracruz, then weakened and dissipated several hours later.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Harvey
The precursor disturbance produced squally weather and gusty winds throughout the Lesser Antilles. On Saint Croix in the United States Virgin Islands, gusty winds downed trees, which struck power lines, leaving minor electrical outages. Along its path, Harvey dropped heavy rainfall across much of Central America. Strong winds and heavy precipitation were reported in Belize, damaging or destroying homes in Crooked Tree. A tornado in northern Belize also caused wind damage in a few villages. Heavy rains in Mexico triggered numerous landslides, one of which killed three people. Two other fatalities occurred in the country. Landslides and overflowing rivers damaged 36 homes and 334 homes in the states of Chiapas and Veracruz, respectively.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Irene
A tropical wave developed into Tropical Storm Irene about 190 mi (305 km) east of the Lesser Antilles early on August 21. The storm made landfall in Saint Croix as a strong tropical storm later that day. Early on August 21, the storm struck Puerto Rico. While crossing the island, Irene strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane. The storm moved parallel to the coast of Hispaniola, continuing to slowly intensify in the process. Shortly before making four landfalls in the Bahamas, Irene peaked as a 120 mph (195 km/h) Category 3 hurricane.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Irene
Thereafter, the storm slowly weakened as it struck the Bahamas and then curved northward after passing east of Grand Bahama. Irene was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall near Cape Lookout, North Carolina, on August 27. Early on the following day, the storm re-emerged into the Atlantic from southeastern Virginia. Although the cyclone remained a hurricane over water, it weakened to a strong tropical storm while making landfall at Little Egg Inlet in New Jersey on August 28. A few hours later, Irene struck Brooklyn, New York City, while slightly weaker. Early on August 29, Irene became extratropical near the New Hampshire–Vermont state line, before being absorbed by a frontal system over Labrador on August 30.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Irene
In Puerto Rico, heavy rainfall caused several rivers burst their banks, damaging roads and crops, particularly in Maunabo and Yabucoa. One death occurred after a woman attempted to drive across a bridge over a rain-swollen river, but her car was swept away. Strong winds toppled many trees and utility poles, leaving over 1 million people without electricity. Overall, damage in Puerto Rico totaled approximately $500 million. In Dominican Republic, flooding displaced more than 37,700 people and left at least 88 communities isolated. A total of 2,292 homes were damaged, 16 of which were rendered beyond repair.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Irene
Throughout the country, there were five deaths and about $30 million in damage. In Haiti, brisk winds in the Port-au-Prince area blew down many refuge tents home to victims from the major 2010 earthquake. Two people were killed after being caught in rain-swollen rivers. In the Bahamas, strong winds damaged at least 40 homes on Mayaguana, while dozens of homes on Acklins were destroyed. On Cat Island, the storm caused "millions of dollars" in structural damage and left many people homeless. Damage throughout the Bahamas reached about $40 million.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Irene
Irene impacted the East Coast of the United States from Florida to Maine. Rough seas along the coast of Florida resulted in minor beach erosion and the deaths of two people. Overall, damage in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina was minimal. Eastern North Carolina was lashed with heavy rainfall, strong winds, and abnormally high tides. In all, over 1,100 homes were destroyed and thousands of others were damaged in North Carolina. Damage in the state reached about $1.2 billion. New Jersey was also hit hard by flooding, strong winds, and storm surge.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Irene
A number of rivers and creeks reached record or near record levels. Winds left approximately 1.6 million people without electricity. About 200,000 buildings and homes across the state suffered some degree of damage. The cost of damage throughout the state was approximately $1 billion. In New York, winds left almost 350,000 homes and businesses without power in Nassau and Suffolk counties alone, but the state received only minor wind damage overall. Storm surge left hundreds of millions in damage in New York City and on Long Island.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Irene
Severe flooding occurred in the Catskill Mountains region, with three towns rendered completely uninhabitable. Damage in the state of New York was estimated at over $1.3 billion. In Vermont, rainfall totals of 4–7 in (100–180 mm) were common. Approximately 800 homes were damaged or destroyed. Additionally, nearly 2,400 roads and 300 bridges were damaged or washed away, several of which were covered bridges built more than 100 years prior to the storm. Flooding in Vermont was considered the worst since the flood of November 1927, with uninsured losses alone reaching about $733 million.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Irene
The other states of New England experienced extensive flooding, but to a less degree. The storm left at least 58 deaths and about $15.8 billion in damage in the United States, which makes it the seventh costliest hurricane in the country. The remnants of Irene also brought flooding to Canada, especially Quebec. One death and about $130 million in insured damage were reported.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression Ten
A well-organized tropical wave moved into the eastern Atlantic on August 22. Tracking westward at a fast pace, the wave gradually developed shower and thunderstorm activity and a closed center of low pressure. Curved bands extended from the center by 00:00 UTC on August 25, indicating the development of a tropical depression; at this time, the system was centered about 405 mi (650 km) west-southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression Ten
Unfavorable northeasterly shear prevented intensification, with the depression peaking with winds of 35 mph (55 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 1006 mbar (hPa; 29.71 inHg) at the time of formation. As a mid-level ridge to the north of the cyclone weakened, it turned west-northwest while gradually weakening. By late on August 26, little convection existed over the center of circulation. At 00:00 UTC on August 27, the depression degenerated into a remnant area of low pressure and dissipated a few hours later after the center deteriorated into a trough.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Jose
A mesoscale convective system developed north of an upper-level low east-southeast of Bermuda on August 25. A small mid-level area of low pressure formed on the western side of the convective complex later that same day, gradually developing into the lower levels of the atmosphere. As convection near the center of circulation increased in coverage and intensity, the system developed into a tropical depression at 06:00 UTC on August 27. Six hours later, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Jose. After formation, strong wind shear from nearby Hurricane Irene slowed, and eventually halted, development trends.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Jose
Jose attained its peak intensity with winds of 45 mph (70 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 1006 mbar (hPa; 29.71 inHg) but slowly weakened thereafter. Accelerating to the north and northeast, shower and thunderstorm activity gradually diminished, the low-level circulation became exposed, and the NHC determined Jose degenerated into a remnant area of low pressure near 00:00 UTC on August 29, roughly 135 mi (215 km) north-northwest of Bermuda. As a tropical cyclone, Jose produced tropical storm-force wind gusts on the island and several nearby buoys.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Katia
A tropical wave developed into a tropical depression about 430 mi (690 km) southwest of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands early on August 29. It intensified into a tropical storm the following day and further developed into a hurricane by September 1, although unfavorable atmospheric conditions hindered strengthening thereafter. As the storm began to recurve over the western Atlantic, favorable conditions allowed Katia to become a major hurricane by September 5 and peak as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph (225 km/h).


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Katia
However, internal core processes, increased wind shear, an impinging cold front, and increasingly cool ocean temperatures caused the cyclone to weaken almost immediately. Katia ultimately transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on September 10 about 290 mi (465 km) south-southeast of Newfoundland. At 00:00 UTC on September 13, Katia's remnant merged with a larger extratropical system, over the North Sea.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Katia
Although Katia passed well north of the Lesser Antilles, a yellow alert was hoisted for Guadeloupe to notify residents of dangerous seas. Strong rip currents along the East Coast of the United States led to the deaths of two swimmers. After losing its tropical characteristics, Katia prompted the issuance of numerous warnings across Europe. Hurricane-force winds impacted numerous locations, downing trees and power poles, leaving thousands of people without electricity.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Katia
The storm was responsible for two deaths in the United Kingdom, with one from when a tree fell on a vehicle in County Durham and another during a multi-car accident on the M54 motorway resulting from adverse weather conditions. The post-tropical cyclone caused approximately £100m ($157 million) in damage in the United Kingdom alone.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Unnamed tropical storm
As part of their routine post-season analysis, the NHC identified an additional tropical storm. In late August, an area of convection that formed to the southwest of Bermuda organized into a distinct low-pressure area. At around 00:00 UTC on September 1, a tropical depression formed about 335 mi (540 km) north of Bermuda. It initially drifted erratically northeastward due to its position within a stationary front. Despite moderate southwesterly wind shear, the depression intensified into a tropical storm after about 12 hours, based on an increase of convection over the center. At that time, the storm attained maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (70 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 1,002 mbar (29.6 inHg).


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Unnamed tropical storm
The thunderstorms continued to pulsate, resulting in the winds fluctuating slightly. Additionally, the intermittent nature of the convection, as well as uncertainty on whether it was associated with a cold front, prevented the storm from being classified as a tropical cyclone in real time. On September 2, a Tropical Weather Outlook (TWO) by the NHC stated that "only a slight increase in organization [would] result in the formation of a tropical storm." That day, an approaching trough caused the storm to accelerate northeastward. Cooler waters and increased wind shear stripped away the convection, resulting in the storm becoming extratropical early on September 3. The remnants continued northeastward, with the circulation dissipating by September 4.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Lee
A tropical wave developed into the season's thirteen tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico about 255 mi (410 km) southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River at 00:00 UTC on September 2. About 12 hours later, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Lee. The cyclone moved slowly north-northwestward and continued to strengthen. However, Lee transitioned into a subtropical storm at 12:00 UTC on September 3 due to a significantly expanded wind field, further interaction with an upper-level low pressure, and weak convection near the center.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Lee
Around that time, the cyclone peaked with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 986 mbar (29.1 inHg). Lee weakened slightly before making landfall near Intracoastal City, Louisiana, at 10:30 UTC on September 4. After moving inland, the storm moved northeastward and merged with a cold front over eastern Louisiana early on September 5. The remnant low dissipated over Georgia by late on the following day.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Lee
In Louisiana, storm surge from Lake Pontchartrain flooded more than 150 homes in Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes. Freshwater flooding also occurred in low-lying areas of southeastern Louisiana and southern and central Mississippi due to 10–15 in (250–380 mm) of rainfall across the area. Several roads were inundated, while 35 roads were damaged, 5 of which were washed out, in Neshoba County, Mississippi. The storm spawned 46 tornadoes, one of which damaged about 400 homes in Cherokee County, Georgia.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Lee
In the Mid-Atlantic, the remnants of Lee produced over 10 in (250 mm) of rainfall in a wide area, causing worse flooding than in June and July 2006 and Hurricane Agnes in 1972. About 100,000 people in Pennsylvania evacuated, including the governor's residence. In Dauphin and Lebanon counties alone, nearly 5,000 dwellings were damaged or demolished. Extensive flooding also occurred in western New York, particularly in Binghamton, Endicott, Johnson City, Owego, Vestal, and Waverly. Overall, Lee resulted in 21 deaths and about $1.6 billion in damage.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Maria
A tropical wave developed into a tropical depression about 700 mi (1,100 km) west-southwest of the southern Cape Verde Islands on late September 6. Early the following day, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Maria. The system reached winds of 50 mph (80 km/h) on September 8, before encountering stronger wind shear and cooler water temperatures near the Leeward Islands, degenerating into a low-pressure area on September 9. It slowly curved toward the north and northeast around the western periphery of the subtropical ridge, and regained tropical storm status on September 10.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Maria
Maria further strengthened to attain hurricane status while making its closest approach to Bermuda. The cyclone peaked with winds of 80 mph (130 km/h) on September 16, but soon weakened due to an increase in wind shear and cooler ocean temperatures. Maria made landfall near Cape St. Mary's, Newfoundland, on September 16, before being absorbed by a frontal system later that day.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Maria
Despite its poor organization, Maria brought heavy rainfall to portions of the eastern Caribbean, especially Puerto Rico. Numerous roadways and homes were flooded, with 150 dwellings in the Yabucoa area receiving water damage. Many people were forced to evacuate after water and mud began entering their homes. Nearly 16,000 people were without electricity in Puerto Rico. Maria left approximately $1.36 million in damage on the island. In addition, tropical storm-force winds were observed on many of the U. S. Virgin Islands. As the system passed west of Bermuda, brief tropical storm-force sustained winds were recorded, along with higher gusts; rainfall on the island, however, was minimal. In Newfoundland, fairly strong winds were recorded, but rainfall totals were generally minimal.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Nate
On September 5 and September 6, a frontal trough stalled in the Bay of Campeche. A low developed and organized sufficiently to be designated as Tropical Storm Nate at 18:00 UTC on September 7. Moving in an erratic motion at a very slow pace, Nate continued to strengthen. Late on September 8, the cyclone intensified into a Category 1 hurricane, peaking with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) and a minimum barometric pressure of 994 mbar (29.4 inHg).


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Nate
Due to the storm's slow movement, Nate began to upwell cooler waters in its wake, while very dry air began entering into the storm, resulting in weakening. Around 16:00 UTC on September 11, Nate made landfall in Mexico near Tecolutla, Veracruz, with winds of 45 mph (70 km/h). Shortly after making landfall, much of Nate's showers and thunderstorms diminished, with the system generating into a remnant low by 00:00 UTC on September 12, which dissipated about six hours later.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Nate
In the Bay of Campeche, 10 oil rig workers evacuated the Trinity II rig, but were forced to abandon their lifeboat. Seven of the ten were rescued, though the other four perished. The storm brought up to 9.84 in (250 mm) of precipitation to southern Veracruz, causing flooding that damaged 839 homes. One person died in the state after being struck by lightning.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Ophelia
On September 19, a tropical wave developed into a tropical depression about 1,300 mi (2,090 km) east of the Lesser Antilles. Moving west-northwestward, the depression became Tropical Storm Ophelia on September 21, and strengthened further to reach an initial peak wind speed of 65 mph (105 km/h) on September 22. As the storm entered a region of higher wind shear it began to weaken, and was subsequently downgraded to a remnant low on September 25.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Ophelia
The following day, however, the remnants of the system began to reorganize as wind shear lessened, and on September 27, the system became a tropical depression again. Moving northward, Ophelia regained tropical storm status early on September 28, and significantly deepened to attain its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 km/h) on October 2. This peak was short-lived however as the system passed over cooler water temperatures and into an area of high wind shear, causing it to quickly weaken and undergo transition to an extratropical cyclone. Ophelia weakened to a tropical storm early on October 3, and became fully extratropical shortly after. The extratropical low was absorbed by a larger weather system on the following day.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Ophelia
As the system made its closest approach to the Leeward Islands, Ophelia produced over 10 in (250 mm) of rainfall on some islands, leading to mudslides and several road rescues. Light precipitation totals and gusty winds below tropical storm force were observed on Bermuda, while storm surge and dangerous rip currents along the coast caused minimal damage. In Newfoundland, heavy rainfall contributed to floods that destroyed roads and exposed the inadequacy of some repair work in the aftermath of Hurricane Igor, which struck the previous year.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Ophelia
Following Ophelia's transition into an extratropical cyclone, residents in the British Isles were urged to prepare for strong winds in excess of 75 mph (120 km/h) and precipitation accumulations up to 4 in (100 mm). In the northern regions of Ireland, a combination of moisture and significantly cooler weather produced several inches of snow, leaving hundreds without electricity.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Philippe
On September 23, a well-defined tropical wave emerged off the coast of Africa, associated with plentiful shower and thunderstorm activity. Moving westward and embedded within a favorable environment for development, the wave quickly became organized. On September 24, a tropical depression developed about 290 mi (465 km) south of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands. Later that day, the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Philippe. Strong wind shear from upper-level winds and later on from Ophelia's outflow, as well as periodic entrainment of dry air, kept the cyclone both small and disorganized. Additionally, the low-level circulation was often exposed. Because of this hostile environment, Philippe remained near the minimum for a tropical storm and briefly weakened to a tropical depression on September 28.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Philippe
The storm began to strengthen significantly by October 1, with an Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) pass on the following day confirming that Philippe was a strong tropical storm, contrary to satellite estimates. Despite high wind shear, it briefly strengthened to a hurricane on October 4 when it developed an eye feature, before weakening back to a tropical storm several hours later. Philippe re-acquired hurricane intensity on October 6 and peaked with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (145 km/h) later that day. However, Philippe weakened to a tropical storm on October 8, before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone later that day. Early on October 9, the remnants extratropical storm was absorbed by larger low-pressure area to the west of the Azores.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Rina
A tropical wave emerged into the Atlantic from the west coast of Africa on October 9. After reaching the southwestern Caribbean, convection intensified near the center and organized into a broad low on October 21, possibly due to a cold front that moved into the region. After a marked increase in convection near and west of the center, a tropical depression developed early on October 23 about 60 mi (97 km) north of Isla de Providencia. The depression moved northward into a weakness in a ridge near Florida, caused by a broad mid-level trough over the Southeastern United States.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Rina
Initially, the depression intensified gradually, becoming Tropical Storm Rina early on October 24. After a decrease in easterly wind shear, however, Rina rapidly deepened while crossing warm waters, reaching hurricane status at 18:00 UTC on October 24 and becoming a major hurricane about 24 hours later. Early on October 26, the storm peaked with winds of 115 mph (185 km/h).


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Rina
After the storm reaching peak intensity, upper-level winds and wind shear quickly became unfavorable, weakening Rina to a Category 2 later on October 26. While moving west-northwest and northward along the western periphery of the ridge, the cyclone weakened to a tropical storm on October 27. Later that day, Rina curved northward. Around 02:00 UTC on October 28, Rina struck Quintana Roo about 12 mi (19 km) southwest of Playa del Carmen with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h). The storm left little impact in the Yucatán Peninsula due to its weakened state.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Rina
Rina degenerated into a remnant low late on October 28, upon emerging into the Yucatán Channel. The remnant low dissipated near the western tip of Cuba on October 29. A cold front, combined with moisture from Rina, resulted in 5–7 in (130–180 mm) of rainfall across parts of South Florida in less than six hours, causing street flooding and leaving water damage in at least 160 homes and buildings in Broward County alone. Farther north, two tornadoes touched down in the vicinity of Hobe Sound, one of which damaged 42 mobile homes, 2 vehicles, and a number of trees.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Sean
A low-pressure area of non-tropical origins developed into Subtropical Storm Sean at 06:00 UTC on November 8 about 445 mi (716 km) southwest of Bermuda. While convection and the wind field had become more symmetric, the system remained a subtropical cyclone due to the associated upper-level low. Within 12 hours, Sean separated from the low and transitioned into a tropical cyclone, after developing a warm core. It developed outflow and intensified due to light wind shear, combined with sufficiently warm water temperatures of at least 78.8 °F (26.0 °C).


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Sean
With a ridge to the northeast, the storm moved slowly to the west. On November 9, an eye feature developed in association with Sean, which later morphed into a ring of convection. The storm peaked with winds of 65 mph (105 km/h) on November 10 as reported by the hurricane hunters. An approaching cold front subsequently induced higher wind shear on the cyclone as it tracked northeastward into cooler waters; this led to weakening. Sean transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on November 11. Early on the next day, it was absorbed by the cold front.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Sean
Sean and its precursor produced light rainfall for several days in Bermuda. Shortly after development, the Bermuda Weather Service issued a tropical storm watch, which was later upgraded to a tropical storm warning. When Sean passed near the island on November 11, it produced sustained winds of 43 mph (69 km/h), with gusts to 62 mph (100 km/h). The storm produced rough seas to the east coast of Florida, which drowned one swimmer in Jensen Beach. Rip currents were also observed in North Carolina.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Storm names
The following list of names was used for named storms that formed in the North Atlantic in 2011. The names not retired from this list were used again in the 2017 season. This was the same list used in the 2005 season with the exceptions of Don, Katia, Rina, Sean, and Whitney, which replaced Dennis, Katrina, Rita, Stan, and Wilma, respectively. The names Don, Katia, Rina, and Sean were used for the first time this year.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Storm names, Retirement
On April 13, 2012, at the 34th Session of the RA IV hurricane committee, the World Meteorological Organization retired the name Irene from its rotating name lists due to its significant impacts in the United States. It was replaced with Irma for the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season.


2011 Atlantic hurricane season, Season effects
This is a table of all of the storms that have formed in the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes their duration, names, landfall(s) – denoted by bold location names – damages, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a wave, or a low, and all of the damage figures are in 2011 USD.


2011 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2011 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Gene Chizik, who was in his third season with Auburn. The Tigers played their home games at Jordan–Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Tigers entered the 2011 season after winning the 2011 BCS National Championship. Auburn finished the year 8–5 overall and 4–4 in SEC play to place fourth in the Western Division. They were invited to the Chick-fil-A Bowl, where they defeated Virginia, 43–24.


2011 Auburn Tigers football team, Previous season
During the 2010–2011 campaign, the Tigers finished the season undefeated, 14–0, with wins over No. 12 South Carolina, No. 12 Arkansas, No. 6 LSU, longtime rival Georgia, No. 9 Alabama, No. 18 South Carolina for a second time in the SEC Championship, and No. 2 Oregon in the BCS National Championship Game. They finished the season as the consensus National Champions, being voted No. 1 in the AP and Coaches' Polls in securing Auburn's first national title since 1957. In addition to the national title, junior quarterback  Cam Newton became the third Auburn player to win the Heisman Trophy.


2011 Auckland Open (darts)
2011 Auckland Open was a darts tournament that took place in Auckland, New Zealand on 17 September 2011.


2011 Audi Cup
The second edition of the Audi Cup was a two-day association football tournament that featured four teams. It was played at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. The competition hosted the defending champions Bayern Munich, the 2010 Copa Libertadores champions Internacional, the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League winners Barcelona and the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup champions Milan. The winners of the tournament were Barcelona, beating Bayern Munich 2–0 in the final. Internacional defeated Milan in the third place match after a penalty shoot-out.


2011 Audi Cup, Competition format
The competition took the format of a regular knock-out competition. The winners of each of the two matches on the first day competed against each other for the Audi Cup, whilst the two losing sides played in a third-place match. The trophy contested over two days, each day seeing two matches played back-to-back. The official matchups were announced on 8 May 2011.


2011 Audi Cup, Television broadcasters
The competition was broadcast in the United Kingdom on ITV4. It was also broadcast in other countries, including Rai Sport in Italy.


2011 Aurora, Colorado mayoral election
The 2011 Aurora, Colorado mayoral election was held on November 1, 2011 to elect the mayor of Aurora, Colorado. It saw the election of Steve Hogan.


2011 Austin Peay Governors football team
The 2011 Austin Peay Governors football team represented Austin Peay State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Governors were led by fifth-year head coach Rick Christophel and played their home games at Governors Stadium. They are a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. They finished the season 3–8, 2–6 in OVC play to finish in a tie for seventh place.


2011 Australia Day Honours
The Australia Day Honours 2011 are appointments to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by Australian citizens. The list was announced on 26 January 2011 by the Governor General of Australia, Quentin Bryce.


2011 Australia Day Honours
The Australia Day Honours are the first of the two major annual honours lists, the first announced to coincide with Australia Day (26 January), with the other being the Queen's Birthday Honours, which are announced on the second Monday in June.


2011 Australia national soccer team season
The page summarises the Australia national soccer team fixtures and results in 2011.


2011 Australia national soccer team season, Summary
Australia competed in the Asian Cup for the second time and improved on their previous effort by making the final. An extra-time goal by Japan meant Australia were to finish in the runner-up position. The middle of the year was most made up of friendlies, the most notable of which saw Australia come from behind to defeat Germany. Qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup filled out the year and despite a slip up in Muscat, Australia were well on their way to the fourth round with four wins from five matches. Australia peaked at 19 on the FIFA rankings during 2011.


2011 Australian Baseball League All-Star Game
The 2011 Australian Baseball League All-Star Game, known as the 2011 ConocoPhillips Australia ABL All-Star Game due to naming rights sponsorship from ConocoPhillips, was the first exhibition game held by the Australian Baseball League (ABL) between Team Australia and a team of World All-Stars. The game was held on Wednesday, 21 December 2011 at Baseball Park in Perth, Western Australia, home of the Perth Heat. The players involved were selected from the rosters of the six ABL teams, with players not eligible for selection in the Australian team for international tournaments eligible for the World All-Stars.


2011 Australian Baseball League All-Star Game
The World All-Stars defeated Team Australia 8–5. Tyler Collins, designated hitter for the World All-Stars won the game's Most Valuable Player award.


2011 Australian Baseball League postseason
The 2011 Australian Baseball League postseason, known as the 2011 Delta Air Lines ABL Postseason due to naming rights sponsorship from Delta Air Lines, was held from 27 January to 13 February 2011. The postseason was contested by four of the six teams participating in the regular season, with the teams with the best winning percentages qualifying.


2011 Australian Baseball League postseason
In the semi-finals, the Melbourne Aces were the first team eliminated, defeated by the Adelaide Bite two games to nil in Adelaide in the minor semi-final series. The Perth Heat became the first team to qualify for the championship series, by sweeping the Sydney Blue Sox two games to nil in the major semi-final series, held in Sydney. The Blue Sox were then eliminated by the Bite in the preliminary final series, losing the series two games to one. The Heat became the inaugural ABL champions when they defeated Adelaide two games to nil in the championship series.


2011 Australian Baseball League postseason, Format
At the conclusion of the regular season, the postseason involved the teams in a three-round structure. Each round consisted of a best-of-three game series between the respective teams. The first- and second-place teams played each other in the major semi-final, the winner of which proceeded directly to the grand final and the loser to the preliminary final. The winner of the minor semi-final between the third- and fourth-place teams also qualified for the preliminary final, while the loser was eliminated. Likewise, the winner of the preliminary final qualified for the championship series, the loser being eliminated.


2011 Australian Baseball League postseason, Format
As in the finals series of previous Claxton Shield tournaments, though each series was hosted by a single team, the role of home team and away team alternated from game to game. For the second game in each series, the visiting team took the role of home team, fielding first, batting second, and wore their away uniform for the game.


2011 Australian Baseball League postseason, Bracket, Qualification
The Perth Heat and Sydney Blue Sox both clinched positions in the top four of the league at the same time: when Perth defeated the Melbourne Aces in the final game of their series at the Melbourne Showgrounds. The Adelaide Bite were the next team to secure a position in the finals, after winning the third of an expanded six-game series against the Brisbane Bandits at Coopers Stadium in Adelaide. Like Sydney, Melbourne secured fourth position through a result that did not involve them: Brisbane's loss in their final game against Adelaide eliminated them from contention for the finals, and since the Canberra Cavalry had already been eliminated by Melbourne's win in its second-last game, Melbourne qualified.


2011 Australian Baseball League postseason, Major semi-final series
The Sydney Blue Sox hosted the Perth Heat in the major semi-final series at Blacktown Olympic Park. The Blue Sox and Heat split their season series 4–4. This included back-to-back sweeps for each team, with Perth winning the second of the two series, played in Sydney.


2011 Australian Baseball League postseason, Minor semi-final series
The Adelaide Bite hosted the Melbourne Aces in the minor semi-final series at Coopers Stadium. The Bite won their season series against the Aces 7–1. Adelaide swept Melbourne 4–0 in the season opening series in Adelaide.


2011 Australian Baseball League postseason, Broadcasting
On 25 January 2011, it was announced that Fox Sports would broadcast live coverage of the championship series. Warren Smith provided the play-by-play commentary, and was joined by Jon Deeble, manager of the Australia national baseball team, for colour commentary.


2011 Australian Carrera Cup Championship
The 2011 Australian Carrera Cup Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. The championship, which was contested over seven rounds across four states, began on 24 March 2011 at the Australian Grand Prix and ended on 4 December at the Sydney 500. It was the seventh Australian Carrera Cup Championship.


2011 Australian Carrera Cup Championship
After the opening round of the series, reigning champion Craig Baird led the championship having scored a second and two wins over the course of the 2011 Australian Grand Prix weekend. Baird was thirty points ahead of Daniel Gaunt and Steven Richards. The winner of the opening race of the season, Jonny Reid slipped to sixth place in the points after a disappointing race when the car slowed on the final lap of the race.


2011 Australian Carrera Cup Championship
An all-podium performance at the second round of the championship by Richards elevated him into the points lead while Reid began a run of six consecutive races of top two race positions to take the championship lead after the third round, a round which had been dominated by Daniel Gaunt with three wins at the Townsville 400 weekend.


2011 Australian Carrera Cup Championship
New Zealand driver Jonny Reid led the series after three rounds with a narrow four point gap over countryman Craig Baird. Steven Richards sat 41 points behind Reid who in turn was just two point ahead of Daniel Gaunt. Reid had won three races over the season thus far, as had Gaunt with Baird having won twice and Richards once.


2011 Australian Carrera Cup Championship, Race calendar
Each of the seven rounds was contested over three races.


2011 Australian Carrera Cup Championship, Points system
Championship points were awarded on a 60–54–48–42–36–32–29–26–23–20–18–16–14–12–11–10–9–8–7–6–5–4–3–2–1 basis to the first twenty-five finishers in each race.


2011 Australian Carrera Cup Championship, Results and standings, Professional Class
The Professional Class was won by Craig Baird from Jonny Reid and Daniel Gaunt.


2011 Australian Carrera Cup Championship, Results and standings, Elite Class
The Elite Class was won by Max Twigg from Paul Kelly and James Koundouris.


2011 Australian Drivers' Championship
The 2011 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title with the championship winner receiving the 2011 CAMS Gold Star award. It was the 55th Australian Drivers' Championship and the seventh to be contested with open wheel racing cars constructed in accordance with FIA Formula 3 regulations. It was also recognised as the 11th Australian Formula 3 Championship. The championship was contested over a series which was officially known as the "2011 Australian Formula 3 Drivers Championship for the CAMS Gold Star". The series began on 21 March 2011 at Winton Motor Raceway and finished on 13 November at Symmons Plains Raceway after seven rounds across five different states and territories, with three races at each round.


2011 Australian Drivers' Championship
The championship was won by Queensland driver Chris Gilmour. Gilmour moved into the series lead when British racer and 2008 champion James Winslow missed the Morgan Park round. Winslow returned to the series at the next event. He won a total of eight races to Gilmour's six, but had given away a points lead to Gilmour he would never regain, ultimately falling eight points short of the winners total. Gilmour is the first Australian driver to win the championship since 2007 after three consecutive years of British drivers claiming the title.


2011 Australian Drivers' Championship
John Magro, also from Queensland, was the only driver of the 2007 generation cars apart from Gilmour to contest the full series and was rewarded with third place in the championship, but was 32 points behind Gilmour and achieved only one race win. Occasional racer Mat Sofi dominated the Eastern Creek round with three race wins while 2007 champion Tim Macrow won the final race of the season in his older, 2004 specification Dallara.


2011 Australian Drivers' Championship
Four other drivers contested the full series in the older National Class cars in which they also competed for their own class award. As in the outright championship, the National Class winner was not decided until the final race of the season. However the spoiling presence of Macrow limited the number of points Ben Gersekowski could retrieve in his fight with Steel Guiliana, and the latter ultimately claimed the National Class award by seven points. Tasmanian driver Josh Burdon was over sixty points behind Guiliana with Roman Krumins a further twelve points in arrears.


2011 Australian Drivers' Championship, Class structure
An additional Invitation Class, for automobiles constructed in accordance with the appropriate regulations that applied in the year of manufacture, was provided for in the regulations, however no eligible cars competed during the course of the season.


2011 Australian Drivers' Championship, Points System
Drivers of cars from all three classes were eligible to score points towards the Australian Drivers' Championship. National Class and Invitation Class drivers were also eligible to score points towards their respective class awards using the same points system as applied for the outright championship, but based on their relative finishing position within their class in each race.


2011 Australian Drivers' Championship, Teams and drivers
The following teams and drivers contested the 2011 Australian Drivers' Championship. Entries sourced in part from:


2011 Australian Drivers' Championship, Race calendar
A long-time bastion of the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships the 2011 season saw the Gold Star shift several events onto the International V8 Supercars Championship calendar, after occasional appearances at the Clipsal 500 and other major events. The series appeared on the program of V8 Supercar rounds at Winton, Symmons Plains, and, in a first for the category, Hidden Valley Raceway in the Northern Territory.


2011 Australian Drivers' Championship, Results, Drivers' championship
Note: Race 3 at the opening round at Winton was cancelled due to heavy rain.


2011 Australian Drivers' Championship, Results, Drivers' championship
Note: There were no competitors in the Invitation Class at any of the seven rounds.


2011 Australian Football International Cup
The 2011 Australian Football International Cup is the fourth edition of the Australian Football International Cup, an international Australian rules football competition run by the Australian Football League.


2011 Australian Football International Cup
It was contested between 12 and 27 August 2011, with games to be played in both Melbourne and Sydney. Ireland won its second men's championship, and the inaugural women's championship (Ryan Aslett Cup).


2011 Australian Football International Cup, Competing Teams
On 1 July 2011, the AFL confirmed the 18 men's teams that would participate in the 2011 International Cup:


2011 Australian Football International Cup, Competing Teams
17 of these clubs represented single nations, and one (the Peres Team for Peace) represented both Israel and the Palestinian Territories.


2011 Australian Football International Cup, Competing Teams
As well as the above Men's teams, for the first time in the history of the tournament, there was also a Women's competition, with five teams participating:


2011 Australian Football International Cup, Men's Fixtures, Round 1
Before the tournament, the 18 clubs were seeded into six groups of three, ranked based on previous performance in International Cups, or in the case of the newer teams, at the discretion of the AFL:


2011 Australian Football International Cup, Men's Fixtures, Round 1, Matches
The first round of matches was played with modified rules, most significantly the reduction of game length to two-quarters, in the same manner as the 2011 NAB Cup.


2011 Australian Football International Cup, Men's Fixtures, Round 2
At the conclusion of Round 1, the best two teams from each Group were regrouped into four groups of three teams, based on Win-Draw-Loss performance and Percentage in Round 1, all within a larger group known as Division 1. These teams would remain in contention for the International Cup title. The remaining six were regrouped in the same way, into two subgroups of Division 2. These teams would compete for a secondary prize.


2011 Australian Football International Cup, Men's Fixtures, Round 2, Division 1
Division 1 teams played one match against each team in their respective groups.


2011 Australian Football International Cup, Men's Fixtures, Round 2, Division 2
Division 2 teams played one match against each team in their respective groups, as well as a single "cross-over" match against a team in the opposite group.


2011 Australian Football International Cup, Men's Fixtures, Division 1 Semi-Finals
At the conclusion of Round 2, the teams were once again re-seeded based on their performance in the previous round; the teams in Division 1 were seeded in positions 1-12, and the teams in Division 2 in positions 13–18.


2011 Australian Football International Cup, Men's Fixtures, Division 1 Semi-Finals
These matches were played at the same time as the final Round 2 Division 2 matches; the Division 2 teams did not participate in this round.


2011 Australian Football International Cup, Women's Fixtures, Round 1
In the opening round of the Women's International Cup, the five teams played each other once, over the course of 10 days.


2011 Australian Football International Cup, Women's Fixtures, Finals
At the conclusion of Round 1, Australia, the lowest ranked team in the competition based on points and percentage, was eliminated and finished in 5th place. The remaining four clubs will compete in the finals.


2011 Australian Formula Ford Championship
The 2011 Australian Formula Ford Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Formula Ford racing cars. It was the 42nd national series for Formula Fords to be held in Australia and the 19th to carry the Australian Formula Ford Championship name. The championship was contested over an eight-round series which began on 17 March 2011 at the Adelaide Parklands Circuit and ended on 13 November at Symmons Plains Raceway. Australian Formula Ford Management Pty. Ltd. was appointed by CAMS as the Category Manager for the series, which was officially known as the "2011 Australian Formula Ford Championship for the Ford Fiesta Cup".


2011 Australian Formula Ford Championship
Sonic Motor Racing Services driver Cameron Waters dominated the championship with a winning margin of 74 points over second placed Jack Le Brocq. Waters recorded seven race wins to Le Brocq's four, whilst third placed Nick Foster won six races. Other race winners were Matthew Brabham, who only contested a partial season in 2011, Daniel Erickson, Tom Williamson in the factory-supported Spectrum, Trent Harrison and Liam Sager.


2011 Australian Formula Ford Championship, Teams and drivers
The following teams and drivers contested the 2011 Australian Formula Ford Championship. All teams and drivers were Australian-registered, excepting Nick Cassidy and Andre Heimgartner, who were New Zealander-registered.


2011 Australian Formula Ford Championship, Teams and drivers
Note: All cars were powered by 1600cc Ford Duratec engines, as mandated by the 2011 Australian Formula Ford Technical Regulations.


2011 Australian Formula Ford Championship, Calendar
Note: Round 1 was contested over two races and all other rounds were contested over three races.


2011 Australian Formula Ford Championship, Points
Championship points were awarded on a 20–16–14–12–10–8–6–4–2–1 basis to the top ten classified finishers in each race. An additional point was awarded to the driver gaining pole position for the first race at each round.


2011 Australian GT Championship
The 2011 Australian GT Championship was an Australian motor racing competition open to closed, production based sports cars which are either approved by the FIA for GT3 competition or approved by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) for Australian GT. It was sanctioned by CAMS as a National Championship with the Australian GT Sportscar Group Pty Ltd appointed by CAMS as the Category Manager. The championship, which was the 15th Australian GT Championship, incorporated drivers titles in two divisions, GT Championship and GT Challenge. The former GT Production division was merged into the GT Challenge division for 2011.


2011 Australian GT Championship
Mark Eddy won his second GT Championship. Driving his Melbourne Performance Centre prepared Audi R8 LMS the 2008 champion finished 36 points ahead of Klark Quinn (Mosler MT900 GT3 and Aston Martin DBRS9) and 99 points ahead of 2006 champion Greg Crick (Chrysler Viper GT3). Eddy only won one round, but it was the bonus point Phillip Island event at Round 5. Eddy also won races at Winton and Bathurst. Quinn won two races at the street circuits of Adelaide and Townsville, but fell behind Eddy after failing to finish in the second race at Phillip Island. Crick fell behind Eddy after failing to score any points at Bathurst. Peter Hackett, Dean Grant and Kevin Weeks all claimed race wins during the course of the season.


2011 Australian GT Championship
The GT Challenge division was won by Porsche driver Peter Boylan, defeating Lotus driver Tim Poulton by 63 points. They were the only two GT Challenge drivers to complete more than half of the season.


2011 Australian GT Championship, Points system
Points were awarded in each division at each race according to the following table.


2011 Australian GT Championship, Points system
For Round 5 of the championship only, points were also awarded to each driver based on their fastest lap time achieved in qualifying relative to the other drivers within their division of the championship, in accordance with the above table.


2011 Australian GT Championship, Points system
The results for each round of the championship were determined by the number of points scored by each driver within their division at that round.


2011 Australian GT Championship, Points system
The driver gaining the highest points total over all rounds of the Championship within their division was declared the winner of that division.


2011 Australian GT Championship, 2011 Australian Tourist Trophy
The 2011 Australian Tourist Trophy was awarded by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport to the driver accumulating the highest aggregate points total from the Eastern Creek and Phillip Island "endurance" rounds of the championship. The title, which was the 22nd Australian Tourist Trophy, was won by Mark Eddy  driving an Audi R8 LMS.


2011 Australian Goldfields Open
The 2011 Australian Goldfields Open was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 18 and 24 July 2011 at the Bendigo Stadium in Bendigo, Australia.


2011 Australian Goldfields Open
The event was last held in 1995 under the name Australian Masters, where Anthony Hamilton defeated Chris Small 8–6 in the final. However, Hamilton withdrew from the tournament in the qualifying rounds sighting personal reasons and therefore did not compete to defend his title.


2011 Australian Goldfields Open
Stuart Bingham won the first ranking title of his career by defeating Mark Williams 9–8 in the final.


2011 Australian Goldfields Open, Prize fund
The breakdown of prize money for this year is shown below:


2011 Australian Goldfields Open, Qualifying
These matches took place between 26 and 30 June 2011 at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield, England. David Gilbert was the only player to go through all four rounds of qualifying to make it to the main stage.


2011 Australian Grand Prix
The 2011 Australian Grand Prix (formally the 2011 Formula 1 Qantas Australian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 27 March 2011 at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne. It was the 76th race in the combined history of the Australian Grand Prix that dates back to the 100 Miles Road Race of 1928. Originally planned as the second race of the 2011 Formula One season, it became the season opener with the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix due to civil unrest in the country.


2011 Australian Grand Prix
The 58-lap race was won by the reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel, driving for Red Bull Racing, after starting from pole position. Lewis Hamilton finished second in a McLaren, and Renault's Vitaly Petrov completed the podium in third place, the first podium finish of his career and the first podium finish for a Russian national. This was the only race until the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix that neither Mercedes was classified.


2011 Australian Grand Prix
This race also marked Pirelli's return as the sole tyre supplier, replacing Bridgestone, who had supplied tyres to Formula One between 1997 and 2010. It was Pirelli's first race as a tyre supplier since the 1991 edition.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Background
On the Thursday before the race, the FIA altered the rules for the Drag Reduction System (DRS). Where the original rules were called for markings to be placed on the final 600 metres of the main straight to represent the zone in which the DRS was deployed, this was later changed to encompass the entire length of the front straight, 867 metres in length.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Background
The distance between the "detection" and "activation" lines – marking on the circuit that measured the time between two cars and the point from which the DRS could be used – was also extended so as to allow the driver more time to be aware that their DRS system was active.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Background
Tyre supplier Pirelli brought its silver-banded hard compound tyre as the harder "prime" tyre and the yellow-banded soft compound as the softer "option" compound. This was the same tyre selection that Bridgestone had chosen to bring to the Australian Grand Prix in the previous year.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Background
The Friday practice sessions were run in conditions unlike any the teams had experienced during winter testing, with low temperatures, variable wind conditions and intermittent showers late in the afternoon. This made practice a learning experience for the teams, as the Pirelli tyres had a much narrower temperature band than the Bridgestone tyres used in 2010. With the ambient and track temperatures consistently lower than 20 °C (68 °F), the teams struggled to find the optimal performance band for the tyres.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Background
Commentators during the support races also noted that because of the proportionately higher number of support races in Melbourne compared to other rounds of the championship and the different makeup of the tyres used in those support categories, the track became "slower" as the day progressed. Where the Formula One cars laid rubber onto the existing racing line, the support races picked the rubber back up or pushed it off the racing line. This was particularly noticeable during qualifying for the V8 Supercars support race shortly after the first practice session.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Background
Several driver changes were also made for the first practice session, with Daniel Ricciardo running in the place of Jaime Alguersuari at Scuderia Toro Rosso, Karun Chandhok assuming Jarno Trulli's seat at Team Lotus, and Nico Hülkenberg driving for Force India in the place of Paul di Resta.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Background
Heading into the race, Sebastian Vettel had won 3 of the last 4 Grands Prix (and had retired from the lead of the race he didn't win), as well as being crowned World Champion. Both he, and his new car (the Red Bull RB7) looked in good form to defend their titles.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Practice
Red Bull Racing led the first practice session, with Mark Webber finishing three tenths of a second quicker than reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel and almost a second faster than Fernando Alonso. Vettel experienced a blistered front tyre that initially caused concerns over the integrity of the Pirelli tyres, but was later revealed to be a phenomenon experienced by several teams during winter testing. The session was marked by an early accident involving Karun Chandhok.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Practice
The Indian driver was the first car to take to the circuit and lost control on his installation lap, spinning off and crashing into a wall on the exit of turn three. The team recorded no mechanical failures and attributed the crash to driver error. Several other drivers, including Felipe Massa, Vitaly Petrov and Nico Rosberg all experienced troubles at the third corner, running wide into the gravel trap. The damage to Chandhok's car was minimal, and Jarno Trulli was able to resume his seat in time for the second practice session.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Practice
Despite claiming during the off-season that they were a second behind their rivals, McLaren followed Red Bull in claiming the two fastest times in the second session, with Jenson Button a tenth of a second faster than Lewis Hamilton, Alonso and Vettel. Intermittent showers late in the afternoon led to race control declaring the circuit to be wet, but no driver used the wet or intermediate tyres, and a dry line was quickly established. The final half hour was run under race conditions as a simulation of the DRS in order to check that the system was properly implemented. As most of the times during the day had been set with the aid of an unrestricted DRS, no driver recorded a fastest time for the session once the simulation had begun.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Practice
Hispania Racing did not take part in the first practice session, with the team spending most of the day building both of their cars in the pit garage. Vitantonio Liuzzi was able to leave the garage three minutes before the end of the second practice session and completed an installation lap, but did not set a time. Narain Karthikeyan did not take to the circuit. Both cars were able to take to the circuit for the third practice session, with Karthikeyan setting a fastest lap some fourteen seconds slower than the fastest man of the session, Sebastian Vettel.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Practice
Liuzzi was unable to set a time after his car abruptly lost all drive on his installation lap and he was towed from the circuit, though the team were able to resolve the problems in time for qualifying. However, as their 2011-specification front wing failed a mandatory crash test, the team was forced to use the 2010 wing, which was not designed in conjunction with their new aerodynamics package, thus leading to a car that was operating at less than peak aerodynamic efficiency. The session was otherwise incident-free, although Williams experienced delays when a gearbox problem kept Rubens Barrichello in his pit garage and Pastor Maldonado spun off the circuit and was unable to rejoin which meant they joined Pérez, Karthikeyan and Liuzzi to complete less than 10 laps in practice 3.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Qualifying
The first qualifying period opened with uncertainty over whether as many as four cars would be able to qualify. Hispania's limited running and poor lap times made qualification unlikely, while Virgin Racing admitted that they were concerned they would not be able to race when Timo Glock's best time in the third practice session was just two tenths of a second inside 107% of Sebastian Vettel's best time while Jérôme d'Ambrosio was well outside the benchmark.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Qualifying
Both Virgins were able to qualify, taking the final two places on the grid while the Hispanias were both eliminated for being outside 107% of provisional pole-sitter's time. They later requested to be allowed to race, citing "exceptional circumstances", but were refused by the stewards. Lotus were also eliminated in Q1, causing surprise within the team, who had expected to be much closer to the midfield. Nick Heidfeld was the other Q1 elimination, first of all experiencing a problem with the KERS device on his R31 and later encountering traffic that compromised his flying lap. Several teams, including Ferrari, were forced to sacrifice a set of soft tyres simply to progress to Q2.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Qualifying
The second session opened with a mistake from Rubens Barrichello that saw him spin off. He failed to set a time, and so qualified seventeenth on the grid. Sauber's Sergio Pérez also struggled with a hydraulics problem that cost him track time. Michael Schumacher failed to advance to Q3 by one hundredth of a second. Jaime Alguersuari qualified twelfth, followed by rookie drivers Pérez, Paul di Resta and Pastor Maldonado.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Qualifying
Adrian Sutil was left sixteenth on the grid when, on a fast flying lap, he activated his DRS and KERS devices simultaneously as he came out of the final corner, pitching him into a spin. Although he was able to avoid contact with the walls, the spin compromised both his flying and final laps.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Qualifying
The final session started with Sebastian Vettel setting a time that quickly proved to be unbeatable. Mark Webber held second place for much of the period before Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were able to split the Red Bull cars. Webber was able to reclaim third from Button, but was mystified as to his lack of pace compared to his team-mate; Vettel was almost a second faster than Hamilton. He was observed to set a similar time later in the session without using his KERS device at all during the lap. Fernando Alonso tailed the McLaren cars in fifth, bemused at his car's lack of pace after early promise in free practice. Vitaly Petrov was sixth for Renault, ahead of Nico Rosberg in the second Mercedes, Felipe Massa, Kamui Kobayashi and Sébastien Buemi.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Race
Speculation before the race suggested that Red Bull were using a "start-only KERS" device that had been deliberately designed to be used to aid their drivers at the start of the race at the expense of using the device for the duration of the Grand Prix.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Race
This was seemingly supported by telemetry that showed Sebastian Vettel did not touch his KERS button during his qualifying laps, but team principal Christian Horner revealed post-race that the team had never fitted either of their cars with KERS during qualifying or the race and kept the decision a secret so as to mislead their opposition.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Race
Vettel made the best start from pole whereas the McLarens of Hamilton and Jenson Button started slowly from second and fourth on the dirty side of the grid. This left Vettel unchallenged into the first corner, with Hamilton's KERS button allowing him to just keep second from Webber. Button was unable to defend his position as he was under challenge from Fernando Alonso and Vitaly Petrov. Petrov took fourth and Alonso was pushed on the grass and dropped back, while Button dropped to sixth behind Felipe Massa.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Race
In the middle of the pack, there was a collision between Michael Schumacher and Jaime Alguersuari as a result of which both drivers had to pit for repairs; Schumacher for a puncture and Alguersuari for a front wing. The rest of the field passed through the first lap safely, sparing a run across the gravel for Rubens Barrichello in an attempt to avoid the incident, which dropped him to last.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Race
Sebastian Vettel was 2.4 seconds ahead of Hamilton at the end of the first lap, and he increased it to 3.2 seconds at the end of lap 2, with Webber right behind Hamilton. Hamilton then began to respond to Vettel's fast laps, easily pulling away from Webber and keeping the gap to Vettel around 3 seconds. Webber and Petrov were comfortable in third and fourth, with the main battle on the track being Jenson Button's repeated attempts to get fifth from Massa.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Race
Button tried many times to pass Massa, but his attempts were to no avail until lap 11 when he went around the outside of the Brazilian at the fast Turn 11 chicane. Button was forced to cut the chicane to complete his overtake and was given a drive-through penalty despite stating in a radio transmission that he felt he had the position when he was forced off the circuit.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Race
Massa lost momentum and was passed by the recovering Fernando Alonso in the sister Ferrari, compromising Button's position further, as in order to give the position back to Massa he would have had to let both Ferraris past. At the front, Vettel was only 1.5 seconds ahead of Hamilton when he made his first stop and rejoined fourth behind Button who was yet to serve his drive-through and make his tyre stop.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Race
Button made an attempt to hold Vettel up in order to aid teammate Hamilton, though Vettel quickly passed him and set the fastest lap of the race on new tyres. Hamilton pitted two laps later, but this proved to be a disadvantage as he rejoined nearly seven seconds behind Vettel. Webber, Petrov, Alonso and Massa followed; the former rejoining on hard tyres unlike all the others.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Race
Pastor Maldonado was the first retirement of the race, pulling over to the side of the circuit with an undiagnosed technical problem that the team later traced back to a problem with the transmission. He was joined several laps later by Michael Schumacher, who had sustained damage from contact with Alguersuari, and the Mercedes team felt it was better to retire than to continue on and risk further damage to the car.


2011 Australian Grand Prix, Report, Race
Heikki Kovalainen retired his Lotus T128 on the same lap with a water leak, whilst Timo Glock was initially parked in the garage with a mechanical failure before he was able to return to the circuit. As he completed less than 90% of the race winner's distance, he was not classified in the final standings.