Six round-the-world IMOCA 60 racers will be on the start line for the fourth consecutive Artemis Challenge at Cowes Week on Tuesday, 3rd August including Britain’s Mike Golding and Dee Caffari.  Joining the renowned round the world skippers, competing for the £10,000 charity prize fund, will be sporting stars Zara Phillips, Amy Williams, GMTV presenter Emma Crosby and former England rugby international Martin Bayfield. Bayfield played the role of Robbie Coltrane’s body double ‘Hagrid’ in the Harry Potter films and whose co-stars James and Oliver Phelps, known as the Weasley twin characters in the same films, are back for a second time. Amy Williams, Olympic Gold Medalist in the skeleton bob at the last Winter Olympics commented: “I’ve always wanted to give sailing a try. I’m sure life out at sea is pretty different to life on the skeleton bob track!”

The boats will be racing round the Isle of Wight, a 55-mile course, departing the Royal Yacht Squadron start line at 0950 BST. The IMOCA 60s will head eastwards from the start line towards Portsmouth to take advantage of the tide, as the weather forecast is predicting light downwind start in the morning but with a sea breeze expecting to build throughout the day. Legendary French solo skipper, Roland Joudain skipper of Veolia Environnement said: “The Artemis Challenge will be a first for me and the boats look like putting on a fine show on the Solent!”  Double Olympic medalist, Simon Hiscocks, will be steering Artemis Ocean Racing: “I think my Olympic experience will be important with the tactics involved in sailing so closely,” said Hiscocks. “Taking the helm of an IMOCA 60 is something that most people in the sport would aspire to be able to do, so being able to steer Artemis Ocean Racing round the island is an awesome opportunity.”

The Artemis Challenge has become a popular fixture at the UK’s biggest yachting regatta offers a great mix of sporting competition and celebrity glamour benefiting the charity of the winning boat.  Last year, Dame Ellen MacArthur won the race with £10,000 going to the Ellen MacArthur Trust.

Entries / skippers / charities:
Artemis Ocean Racing / helmsman Simon Hiscocks / Kids Company
Toe in the Water / Steve White / RNLI
Gaes Centros Auditivos / Dee Caffari / Toe in the Water
Veolia Environnement / Roland Jourdain / Plan
Mike Golding Yacht Racing / Mike Golding / RNLI
VE1 / Ryan Breymaier & Boris Herrman / Chemo Outreach Project

Follow the race live at artemischallenge.com - all the boats will be carrying race trackers so you can see the race unfold on the race player.

Watch the Cowes Week daily highlights vodcast online every day until Thursday, 6th August. Click HERE to go to the video gallery.