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IMOCA 60s set to battle around the Island for £10,000 charity prize

August 5th 2009 will see the return of The Artemis Challenge at Cowes Week, now recognised as one of the pinnacle events at the celebrated regatta. The race, a 50 mile high speed sprint around the Isle of Wight for IMOCA 60s, will see £10,000 donated to the charity of the winning skipper.

Following the huge success of the inaugural event in 2007 and the second edition in 2008, Artemis Investment Management, one of the UK’s leading investment companies, will be staging the third annual Artemis Challenge at Cowes Week this year. Designed to celebrate IMOCA 60 racing in British waters, the race will be the ideal warm up for the big boats ahead of the Rolex Fastnet Race.

The Artemis Challenge takes place in the middle of the world’s largest sailing regatta and looks set to feature some of the biggest names on the offshore racing circuit, including some of the stars from the Vendée Globe, who will be joined by a host of celebrities.

Mark Tyndall, CEO of Artemis Investment Management commented, “The Artemis Challenge at Cowes Week is teeing up to be another closely contested race in 2009. The event is unique in bringing together IMOCA 60’s against the backdrop of a world class regatta in the UK. It seems to combine the serious competitiveness that is inherent in a fleet like this, but also a fun element and a worthy outcome – raising money for charity. I am greatly looking forward to getting out on the water again.”

In 2008 it was a wet and gusty event, with eight IMOCA 60s charging around the Isle of Wight. It was a hard fought race with the teams showing a number of celebrity guests what it takes to sail these high-speed ocean racing yachts. However it was British skipper Brian Thompson who claimed the first prize onboard Pindar in one of the fastest recorded times for circumnavigating the island, donating the winning prize to Earthwatch.

The 2008 event saw former Labour Party spin-doctor Alistair Campbell join Artemis Ocean Racing I, whilst Davina McCall sailed with Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss and England Rugby player James Haskell crewed on Artemis Ocean Racing II. This year’s race is shaping up to be a classic with some high profile celebrity names to be announced over the coming months.