Teams Are Ready for the Artemis Challenge9th Aug 2011

The Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week will tomorrow provide the setting for the Artemis Challenge amongst its buzzing regatta.  Hollywood star Ewan McGregor, television presenter Natalie Pinkham and equestrian star Zara Phillips will be joining the skippers and crew for the IMOCA 60 50-mile race around the Isle of Wight tomorrow.
 

Artemis Ocean Racing © Lloyd Images

Natalie Pinkham will be racing onboard with Zara Phillips and Dee Caffari on IMOCA 60 Artemis Ocean Racing. Natalie will also be writing an article for Hello magazine and they have donated £3,000 to Toe in the Water the nominated charity for Artemis Ocean Racing. If the team are victorious in the race a further £10,000 will be donated to the charity as well. Toe in the water are a local Cowes based charity who aim to inspire the servicemen and women who have sustained injuries, including loss of limbs, to move beyond their disability and be re-inspired by life, using the platform of competitive sailing.

“We’re looking forward to showing Ewan around the HUGO BOSS and giving him a real taste of what an IMOCA 60 is capable of” explained Alex Thomson skipper of Hugo Boss.  “If the conditions are in our favour tomorrow it should be a great introduction to racing and sailing in general.’

Tomorrows start for Artemis Ocean Racing, PRB, Hugo Boss and Cheminees Poujoulat will be off the Royal Yacht Squadron where spectators will be treated to watching the powerful racing machines in action. The IMOCA 60 are the state of the art offshore racing yachts that most famously are used to compete in the legendary Vendee Globe. Unfortunately Banque Populaire were forced to pull out of the Artemis Challenge due to damage sustained to their boat during training.

The course this year will take the teams east around the Isle of Wight past Bembridge, St Katherine’s Point and then to the Needles before finishing back in Cowes. In the forecasted conditions of 16-18 knots of south westerly breeze building through the day we can expect the IMOCA 60s to finish around 3pm.

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