Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, the IMOCA 60 ‘Artemis Ocean Racing’ will be competing in the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race starting on Monday, 23rd August. The 1,802-nautical mile race departs the Royal Yacht Squadron start line (Cowes,UK) at 1400 BST, racing clockwise around Britain and Ireland.
An international fleet of 30 yachts will line-up for the fully crewed non-stop race representing seven nations from the UK, Spain, France, Sweden, Italy, Austria and Slovenia. In the last race in 2006, Artemis Ocean Racing took line honours in 7 days, 4 hours and 29 minutes and hold the current RORC Race Record*. Artemis will be the only IMOCA 60 competing this year alongside Volvo Open 70s, Telefonica and Groupama, and giant 100-ft maxi monohull ICAP Leopard who will be out to break the course record that stands at just under 6 days**.
The IMOCA 60 Artemis Ocean Racing will be skippered by Jonny Malbon who only finished the 1,717-mile solo Solitaire du Figaro yesterday! The crew will consist of Boat Captain Graham Tourell and regular Artemis crew Gareth Rowley and Michael Ferguson. They will be joined by double Olympic sailing medalist Simon Hiscocks who helmed Artemis Ocean Racing in the recent Artemis Challenge race, securing third place.
“We’re really looking forward to this race,” said Jonny Malbon. “I will certainly appreciate having a crew on board to share the load after my recent solo Figaro experience! Racing around the coastline of Britain and Ireland non-stop is a real endurance test with many challenges along the way with strong tides, constant marine traffic and oilrigs! It will be very competitive and there is a great line up of boats taking part from the record-breaking ICAP Leopard to small Class 40 boats and one Figaro II which is the smallest boat in the fleet.”
The Round Britain and Ireland Race began in 1976 and there has been six editions to date – three of those non-stop. The boats will be competing for overall victory and to win the John H. Illingworth Trophy and en route will pass many famous landmarks including Britain’s most northerly lighthouse Muckle Flugga, north of Unst in the Shetland Islands.
* RORC Race Record: Artemis Ocean Racing in the 2006 race, 7 days, 4 hours, 29 minutes, 40 seconds.
To beat the RORC Race Record, a yacht must finish before Monday, 30th August at 18:29:40
** Course Record Monohull: set by IMOCA 60 Aviva in 2009 skippered by Dee Caffari, 6 days, 11 hours, 30 minutes, 53 seconds.
To beat the Course Record Monohull, a yacht must finish before Monday, 30th August at 01:30:53
From Artemis Ocean Racing
