1283470192 http://lamp8.ocvision.co.uk/ en lou.newlands@ocgroup.com Copyright 2010 2010-09-02T13:16:51+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/artemis_ocean_racing_claim_overall_victory_in_sevenstar_round_britain/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/artemis_ocean_racing_claim_overall_victory_in_sevenstar_round_britain/#When:12:16:51Z The Royal Ocean Racing Club confirmed this morning at 1100 BST that the IMOCA 60 Artemis Ocean Racing had claimed overall victory in the 2010 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race. “Whilst there are still yachts racing in the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race, the unusual easterly winds are hampering progress to the finish. There is no real possibility of a competing yacht eclipsing the corrected time set by Artemis Ocean Racing…” The Royal Ocean Racing Club confirmed this morning at 1100 BST that the IMOCA 60 Artemis Ocean Racing had claimed overall victory in the 2010 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race. RORC Racing Manager, Ian Loffhagen announced: “Whilst there are still yachts racing in the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race, the unusual easterly winds are hampering progress to the finish. There is no real possibility of a competing yacht eclipsing the corrected time set by Artemis Ocean Racing. Therefore, Artemis Ocean Racing, can claim victory in the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race overall under IRC, as well as the course record for an IMOCA 60. Congratulations to Jonny Malbon and his crew on Artemis Ocean Racing.”Skipper Jonny Malbon and the crew of Artemis Ocean Racing (Graham Tourell, Gareth Rowley, Mikey Ferguson and Simon Hiscocks) have real cause for celebration having not only claimed an IRC class win, the IMOCA 60 race record but also overall IRC victory: “It’s been a pretty tense time since our finish as we have been waiting for the rest of the fleet to come in. The other boats, especially Ambersail and Tonnerre have done a great job of keeping the pressure on - right down to the wire.  We are really relieved to officially receive the news that it is now looking impossible for any of the remaining competing yachts to finish in time to claim overall victory,” said Jonny Malbon. “I can stop obsessing over the schedules, and calculating all the timings! It was a tough race in tough weather conditions, and we pushed the boat harder than ever, all the way round the course. It is a testament to the guys determination and competitive spirit to keep at full power the whole time. Gringo, Gareth and Mikey have done an awesome job in optimising and prepping the boat for the race, and Simon was a fantastic addition to the team. We are really chuffed. It’s a real boost for the sailing team, and the shore team who have given so much to this campaign. We are really proud of this result, and a massive thanks must go to Artemis for being so supportive.”Artemis Ocean Racing crossed the finish line of the 1,802-mile race off Cowes, Isle of Wight on Monday, 30th August at 00h32’ 27” after 6 days, 10 hours, 32 minutes and 27 seconds at sea. It proved to be a grueling race, setting off in 30-35 knots of wind – the weather forecast was so daunting that the RORC made the decision to send the competitors anti-clockwise around Britain and Ireland rather than the tradition clockwise route.  The IMOCA 60 Artemis Ocean Racing have enjoyed a successful association with this race, as the team won the 2006 edition on the older generation Artemis Ocean Racing (known as Artemis I). Visit the online Multimedia section for all the onboard videos and photos from the 2010 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race. 2010-09-02T12:16:51+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/artemis_ocean_racing_breaks_the_sevenstar_round_britain_and_ireland_race/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/artemis_ocean_racing_breaks_the_sevenstar_round_britain_and_ireland_race/#When:09:06:13Z Having crossed the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race finish line today (Monday 30th August) at 00h32’ 27’’ after 6 days 10 hours 32 minutes and 27 seconds at sea, Artemis Ocean Racing managed to break the IMOCA 60 course record at the end of an “epic day of full-on sailing”, as Jonny Malbon said upon setting foot ashore. Having crossed the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race finish line today (Monday 30th August) at 00h32’ 27’’ after 6 days 10 hours 32 minutes and 27 seconds at sea, Artemis Ocean Racing II managed to break the IMOCA 60 course record at the end of an “epic day of full-on sailing”, as Jonny Malbon said upon setting foot ashore. The Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race is special for Artemis Ocean Racing, as its 2006 edition was the first event the team’s first IMOCA 60 (ex-Hexagon, later known as Artemis I) took part in - and incidentally won, with Jonny Malbon at the helm. And despite the “domestic” feel evoked by its course and appellation, it’s a gruelling competition with 1802 nautical miles to cover - that’s more than half of a transatlantic crossing - on a course that takes the sailors to the loneliness, the cold and the desolation of the Northern Hemisphere’s high latitudes. Last night, Jonny Malbon and his crew came back home to find the Solent as windy and choppy as they left it last Monday under reefed mainsail and Genoa jib, yet an awful lot has happened during this (mainly) fast and furious week, which saw five competitors, including the Super Maxi 100’ ICAP Leopard, retire from the race after having suffered gear failure. For the first 3 days of the race, the breeze only dropped below 20 knots for a total combined time of a couple of hours, which means that the crew have had a very bumpy, wet and uncomfortable ride for starters. Yet spirits were up, as Artemis Ocean Racing is a powerful machine that needs strong conditions to fully express her potential, and as a results the boat speed was thrilling, as Jonny Malbon recalls: “As soon as we set off we were in 30 - 35 knots of wind, we knew it wasn’t going to be plain sailing the whole way! It was a brutal start, with heavy airs, big seas and big speeds - fantastic to be off at such a pace! We made some good decisions and were up to the north really quickly. We had a few sticky patches off Muckle Flugga, and it was really painful to see the lead that we had melt away, but every time we managed to get going again quickly. I had my eyes on the time, and the boys were really on it, they did great job of always pushing the boat. We had another light patch this morning (Sunday) but when the breeze kicked at about 9 we had the most epic day - overpowered and on the edge, but totally enjoying it with speeds reaching 27 to 28 knots at times! We’re knackered but it was fabulous…”“The record has been in our minds from the start, and we’re all really chuffed about it. The team spirit was great, it all worked perfectly and we had a really good time, it was nice to push the boat hard at all times and get the best out of her. We had some spectacular gybes and a few hairy moments, with a lot of laughter as soon as the boat had recovered and was back on track. Graham, Mikey and Gareth know the boat inside out, and it was also great to have Simon Hiscocks on board with us.”The IRC overall results won’t be known until the “chasing pack” comes in, but at the moment it’s looking very good for Artemis Ocean Racing who had a fabulous final day - so maybe one more victory to celebrate for the crew! Stay tuned…Previous recordDee Caffari / Sam Davies (Aviva) 2009 - 6 days, 11 hours, 30 minutes and 53 seconds.Artemis Ocean Racing crewJonny Malbon, skipperGraham TourellMike FergusonGareth RowleySimon HiscocksCheck out the Multimedia section for all the videos and photos from the 2010 Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race.Photos: Patrick Eden, Rick Tomlinson, Lloyd Images, Paul Wyeth. 2010-08-30T09:06:13+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/imoca60_artemis_ocean_racing_to_compete_in_the_sevenstar_round_britain_irel/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/imoca60_artemis_ocean_racing_to_compete_in_the_sevenstar_round_britain_irel/#When:11:06:27Z 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 anti-clockwise around Britain and Ireland… 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 anti-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. “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.Check the website for latest updates and photos of Artemis Ocean Racing IMOCA60 during the Round Britain and Ireland Race.* 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 01:30:53Further information on the race at http://sevenstar.rorc.org 2010-08-20T11:06:27+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/jonny_malbon_completes_the_2010_solitaire_du_figaro/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/jonny_malbon_completes_the_2010_solitaire_du_figaro/#When:14:57:54Z Jonny Malbon onboard Artemis finished the fourth and final leg of the 2010 Solitaire du Figaro in the early hours of this morning in 39th position, four and a half hours behind leg winner Armel Le Cleac’h… Jonny Malbon onboard Artemis finished the fourth and final leg of the 2010 Solitaire du Figaro in the early hours of this morning in 39th position, four and a half hours behind leg winner Armel Le Cleac’h (BRIT AIR). Following closely behind were Corentin Douguet in 2nd and François Gabart 3rd, completing the Leg 4 podium within ten minutes of each other!Jonny got off to a strong start on the 435-mile fourth and final leg, rounding the first turning mark in 15th place as the fleet headed along the Irish coast to the Fastnet lighthouse. Jonny explains, “It was full-on, a really hard leg. I had a fantastic start and was really happy. Then the first night was difficult deciding whether to put the big spi up straight away or not, but I waited a little longer then put the spi up and then bosh! You’re in to 30-35 knots of wind and massive sea-state! It was pretty cool - charging along surfing - I think I hit 17 knots a couple of times, with full main and the big spi! No chance for sleep or anything!”After a tough and challenging first night the wind eased on the second day to a more manageable 15 knots and the key decision the skippers had to make was when to gybe for the final turning mark… “Then the clouds parted a bit and it got lighter, and I was in a really good spot with JoJo and ahead of Banque Populaire and just behind Francisco Lobato (top 20), so I was pretty happy with that. Then it was all about the gybe and I gybed with all the others, but then I just couldn’t get the boat going, I don’t know why, I watched people just sail over the top of me. The wind didn’t actually do what we expected it to do - it was so frustrating…”“I knew it would be windy at Cap de La Hague (NW corner of Cherbourg Peninsula) so I set myself up so I’d gybe just after the lighthouse in the shallows, and I did and it worked really well. I had a really lovely, perfect gybe and I smoked two people on the corner coming from Alderney because they didn’t have spinnaker up. So I went racing through, gybed, took the pole off and the pole wouldn’t come off the sheet – it had wrapped up with the brace a bit of a mess, and it all happening in 25-28knots of breeze, so the last bit was difficult and I was really happy to get to Cherbourg!”After four full on racing legs the lack of sleep catches up with the sailors, and a final windy leg added quickly to the fatigue: “It was really tiring – the first night you couldn’t stop to sleep because you were tacking on the coast on the rocks all the way down to the Fastnet rock, then as soon as we got there it was 20-25knots downwind. I’m really tired – I think I’ve only had 30mins sleep on this leg.”“This leg was both good and bad – gutted because on the first night I was right up there, but one thing that really cheered me up last night was when I was speaking to Yann Elies (who finished 2nd overall in 2009 but 24th this year) - he said ‘you’ve learnt a lot since last year - you’re getting there…’ and he’s right.”The 2010 Solitaire du Figaro was the 41st edition of this classic solo endurance race. Forty-four competitors competed over four legs totalling 1,717 miles from Le Havre (France) to Gijon (Spain) to Brest (France) then across the English Channel to Kinsale (Ireland) and finishing in Cherbourg (France).  The Solitaire is renowned for its intense competition with the fleet racing in sight of each other and often finishing the legs within minutes of each other. On penultimate leg from Brest to Kinsale only 1 minute and 17 seconds separated the leg winner Adrien Hardy from Yann Elies in second place after racing 350 miles!The overall result is based on cumulative time and the 2010 Solitaire du Figaro overall winner was Armel Le Cleac’h, who unusually took victory in three of the four legs, completing the four legs in a time of 252 hours, 55 minutes and 3 seconds.  Jonny’s final overall time was 272 hours, 6 minutes and 43 seconds, in 44th place in the overall rankings. Finishing only 19 hours, 11 minutes and 40 seconds behind the overall winner after over 1700 miles of racing is testament to Jonny’s training this winter and his improving race performance. Although his overall result in this aggregate time event was hampered by the failure of his autopilot ram on leg 2, costing him around 6 hours, Jonny has consistently been able to stay with the main fleet compared to his previous participation last year.Click here to listen to Jonny thoughts on Leg 4 and his 2010 Solitaire du Figaro (Audio section).Summary of Jonny’s 2010 Solitaire du FigaroPrologue: Le Havre, 26th JulyResult: 17th place in the traditional pre-event Prologue.“This time last year, I would not have been capable of that result. It does not mean that things are going to be easy of course, but it’s certainly morale-boosting.” The two-hour race was won by France’s current Singlehanded Offshore National Champion Gildas Morvan.Leg 1: Le Havre to Gijon, 27th July – 31st JulyResult: 36th place, arriving 3 hours, 47 minutes, 13 seconds after the leg winner, Armel Le Cleac’h’s time of 83 hours, 14 minutes, 32 seconds.The first leg was brutal on the sailors with tricky coastal racing and crossing the notorious Bay of Biscay. Light conditions did not allow for much sleep and Jonny only managed to get 3 hours sleep out of 3 days and 15 hours: “I was a bit upset not to be slightly higher up the rankings, but on the flipside of that I’m happy because I’ve stayed in touch with everybody and I feel I’ve sailed a good race. Tactically I played in the middle and for a while I was 22nd or 23rd whilst to the east the boats were suffering - at that time we did not really know the guys in the west were doing so well - and it was tricky to keep the speed up with the spinnaker in light winds and choppy seas. The positive thing was to have boats around me, I realised I had the same speed so it was frustrating for everybody. But at least I wasn’t stressing on my own thinking I was slower than the others.”Leg 2: Gijon to Brest, 3rd – 6th AugustResult: 44th place, arriving 9 hours, 51 minutes, 45 seconds after leg winner Armel Le Cleac’h’s time of 60 hours, 44 minutes, 40 secondsA broken autopilot forced Jonny to spend extended periods on the helm. Jonny took a good start and was lying 12th at the end of the first day but then dropped to the back of the fleet. Being forced to helm most of the time involves spending a minimum amount of time at the navigation station which naturally has a negative impact on race strategy, and the same goes for managing sleep or food. The second leg starting off in light conditions but were soon replaced by strong winds and choppy seas as the fleet recrossed the Bay of Biscay. Only managing less than 3 hours sleep on the whole leg, Jonny suffered vivid hallucinations bought on by sleep deprivation but he did not ‘throw in the towel’ and was applauded by his fellow competitors on reaching Brest.Leg 3: Brest to Kinsale, 9th – 11th AugustResult: 41st place, arriving 1 hour, 19 minutes, 18 seconds after leg winner Adrien Hardy’s time of 54 hours, 8 minutes, 45 seconds.A challenging leg with strong winds, rain, less than seasonal temperatures and fog. Jonny undoubtedly found the leg hard work having not fully recovered the trials of leg 2: “It was hard in places, the start was great and tacking in the Raz de Brest was fantastic - not difficult but everyone was pushing it right up to the rocks. Then it got a bit more difficult… I had an accident when I got my spinnaker wrapped around the forestay in a gybe which was a bit frustrating and I lost a bit of time.  The second day was harder, the weather was horrible – grey, miserable, strong, strong winds and visibility was really bad. I managed to get a big cut in my hand after picking up a fish hook in my spinnaker sheet which I didn’t see when I was cleaning it and it ripped through my hand.” Leg 4: Kinsale to Cherbourg, 16th – 19th AugustResult: 39th place, arriving 4 hour, 30 minutes, 16 seconds after leg winner Armel Le Cleac’h’s time of 54 hours, 30 minutes, 24 seconds.Jonny got off to a strong start rounding the first rounding mark, the traditional Radio France Buoy, in 15th place.  A tactical beat to the historic Fastnet Rock rock-hopping to keep out of the current, was followed by a full on windy spinnaker leg to the NW coast of France with boatspeeds reaching 17kts, and full ‘green’ water across the boat. After turning at the French coast the fleet sailed in lighter conditions still downwind past the Channel Islands, before the wind increased again, and gave an extraordinary sail across the Alderney tidal race, up the Cherboug Peninsular. The final manoeuvre of the race was a gybe off Cap de la Hague, during which Jonny managed to sneak inside two boats making the turn further offshore, but also experienced a difficult spinnaker problem, with the light weight sail getting tangled with the forestay, making a memorable sail into Cherbourg. 2010-08-19T14:57:54+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/end_of_leg_3_on_the_solitaire_du_figaro_one_more_to_go/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/end_of_leg_3_on_the_solitaire_du_figaro_one_more_to_go/#When:14:04:05Z The penultimate leg of the Solitaire du Figaro finished last night with Adrien Hardy claiming the leg win in a time of 2 days, 6 hours, 8 minutes and 45 seconds, arriving just after 8.00pm.  Jonny Malbon on Artemis finished just 1 hour, 19 minutes and 45 seconds later in 41st place… The penultimate leg of the Solitaire du Figaro finished last night with Adrien Hardy claiming the leg win in a time of 2 days, 6 hours, 8 minutes and 45 seconds, arriving just after 8.00pm.  Jonny Malbon on Artemis finished just 1 hour, 19 minutes and 45 seconds later in 41st place.  The third 349-mile leg of this arduous Solitaire proved challenging with strong winds, rain, less than seasonal temperatures and fog making it hard work for the solo skippers. Jonny undoubtedly found the leg hard work having not fully recovered from leg 2 when he was forced to hand-steer for nearly the entire leg due to a broken autopilot and did not sleep for three whole days! “I’m fine a bit tired but actually not feeling quite as tired as I probably should be! The boat is fine. I managed to get a big cut in my hand after picking up a fish hook in my spinnaker sheet which I didn’t see when I was cleaning it and it ripped through my hand. But that’s the only injury and the boat is in really good shape,” said Jonny as he stepped ashore in Kinsale.On leaving Brest the 44-boat fleet raced north up the coast of France before crossing the English Channel and rounding Wolf Rock off the south-west tip of England: “It was hard in places, the start was great and tacking in the Raz de Brest was fantastic - not difficult but everyone was pushing it right up to the rocks. Then it got a bit more difficult and I had an accident when I got my spinnaker wrapped around the forestay in a gybe which was a bit frustrating. I lost a bit of time as I had to go off and sort it out but then I managed to get back with the fleet.  The second day was harder, the weather was horrible – grey, miserable, strong, strong winds and visibility was really bad so I couldn’t really see anyone or see what sails they were using. I was hanging on to the genoa in 25, 28, 30 knots of wind which is too much. So it was quite a relief when that cleared and the front went through very quickly.”The racing was close between the competitors with constant position changes as the sailors vied for their places: “The last day was really nice and I enjoyed it. At the end I went to the beach to try and find some wind and I was quite lucky as the breeze came from the beach so I had a much nicer angle than the people offshore.”Finishing just over an hour after the leg winner is testament to Jonny’s training this winter and his improving race performance in this highly competitive class. He has consistently been able to stay with the main fleet compared to his previous participation last year. His autopilot set back on leg 2, after lying in 12th place at the start of the leg, cost him dearly as the overall rankings are calculated on cumulative time. Finishing nearly 10 hours after the leg 2 winner Armel Le Cleac’h, who still leads in the overall rankings, has put Jonny at the bottom of the leaderboard with one more leg to go.The final leg of the 2010 Solitaire du Figaro leaves Kinsale on Monday, 16th August on the final 435-mile leg to Cherbourg.For now Jonny has time to recuperate a bit more as he outlined his plans for the next few days: “Sleep, eat, drink, sleep, eat and sleep!”Watch the video of Jonny’s arrival in Kinsale HEREPhotos: Courcoux-Marmara/Le Figaro 2010-08-12T14:04:05+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/an_exhausted_jonny_malbon_finishes_leg_2_with_broken_autopilot/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/an_exhausted_jonny_malbon_finishes_leg_2_with_broken_autopilot/#When:14:49:49Z Jonny Malbon informed the Solitaire du Figaro race direction team on Wednesday evening (4th August) that his autopilot had failed, forcing him to spend extended periods on the helm… Jonny Malbon informed the Solitaire du Figaro race direction team on Wednesday evening (4th August) that his autopilot had failed, forcing him to spend extended periods on the helm. The ram that controls the rudders, and which in effect replaces the skipper’s arm, was the source of the problem.

 As a consequence, Jonny, who took a good start to leg 2 and was lying 12th at the end of Day 1, quickly dropped to the back of the fleet and had an exhausting sail towards Brest. Being forced to helm most of the time involves spending a minimum amount of time, if any, at the navigation station which naturally has a negative impact on race strategy, and the same goes for managing sleep or food. It’s back to old-fashioned full-time hand steering and in the absence of a crew the experience is extremely demanding. The second leg from Gijon (Spain) to Brest (France) starting off in light conditions but were replaced by strong winds and choppy seas as the fleet headed across the notorious Bay of Biscay.  But Jonny did not throw in the towel and carried on to complete the 385-mile leg arriving in Brest after midday in a time of 70 hours and 35 minutes.  Jonny told his shore team from the dockside that he had suffered major hallucinations on the final night seeing people being on the boat and telling them ‘to get off’ as it was a solo race!  But he was proud to have finished what he called an ‘epic’ leg, and that he had not opted to retire from the leg. Jonny was ‘chuffed’ that he only finished 9 hours behind the leader.
Jonny will be met in Brest by marine electronics and autopilot French experts from TEEM, and his issue will be fixed in time to take the start of Leg 3 from Brest to Kinsale (Ireland) on Monday, 9th August. For now he has to deal with the disappointment and fatigue resulting from this incident, yet knowing he will be back in the game for the two remaining stages. Naturally in terms of overall rankings, this is a serious blow as the Solitaire du Figaro is based on elapsed times. Leg 2 was won by expert Figarist Armel Le Cleac’h, a previous Solitaire winner, on Brit Air who now leads the overall rankings after two legs.Cowes Week in association with ArtemisAcross the English channel, Cowes Week in association with Artemis is drawing to a close. Artemis has supported the UK’s largest sailing regatta this year, helping keep the entry fees for the 1,000 competing boats at the same level of 2009.  The fourth edition of the Artemis Challenge took place on Tuesday (3rd August) which saw Mike Golding claim the £10,000 charity donation for the RNLI after winning the 50-mile sprint around the Isle of Wight onboard his IMOCA 60. Sporting stars Zara Philips and Amy Williams joined the crew onboard the IMOCA 60 Artemis Ocean Racing and their combined competitive instincts, and efforts on the grinder, helped secure third place behind France’s Veolia Environnement. Today will hopefully see two of Cowes Week’s most loved spectactles – the Red Arrows stunning aerial show which is weather dependent and the end of Cowes Week firework display – also both supported by Artemis.Click HERE to watch the daily highlights vodcasts from Cowes Week.Also, click HERE to watch BBC2’s Coast programme which featured the IMOCA 60 Artemis Ocean Racing and skipper Samantha Davies as they prepared for last November’s Transat Jacques Vabre on the Brittany coast.Photo Credits: Photo 1 & 2: Courcoux-Marmara/Le FigaroPhoto 3 & 4: Lloyd Images 2010-08-06T14:49:49+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/mike_golding_wins_the_artemis_challenge/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/mike_golding_wins_the_artemis_challenge/#When:16:17:00Z Mike Golding has won the Artemis Challenge 2010 claiming the £10,000 charitable donation for the RNLI… Mike Golding has won the Artemis Challenge 2010 claiming the £10,000 charitable donation for the RNLI. The six round-the-world IMOCA 60 racers started the fourth consecutive Artemis Challenge at Cowes Week at 1000 BST today [Tuesday, 3rd August]. Joining the renowned round the world skippers were sporting stars Zara Phillips, Amy Williams, GMTV presenter Emma Crosby and former England rugby international Martin Bayfield as well as the Harry Potter ‘Weasley Twins’, James and Oliver Phelps.Zara Phillips, racing onboard Artemis Ocean Racing, that finished 3rd overall said at the finish: “There was a really good atmosphere on board, we had a good team and we all worked really well together - it was easy for us as the crew know the boat so well. It’s great to finish on the podium but we thought that because it’s the Artemis Challenge and we’re on Artemis Ocean Racing so we thought let the others get in front!”
The boats set out on the 55-mile course round the Isle of Wight in a light south-westerly breeze and made good headway until coming to a standstill at the eastern point of the island before picking up the sea breeze which built steadily through the afternoon. The IMOCA 60s had a great reach from St Catherine’s to The Needles before hoisting their spinnakers for a high-speed dash to the finish line at the Royal Yacht Squadron. Mike Golding narrowly beat Roland Jourdain on Veolia Environnement by 10 minutes to finish in just under six and a half hours.  The sporting stars were not on board just for a joy ride and the skippers had them working hard. “Zara and I were a good team on the grinder, we thought we were way better than the boys! It was so tiring though and big respect to all the sailors – to think they sail these boats all on their own around the world is absolutely amazing. It was a great team effort but I still feel like I’m floating around!” said Amy Williams.  Martin Bayfield who crewed for Dee Caffari, the only yachtswoman to have sailed solo around the world in both directions, was also put to work on the grinder although Dee let him steer for a while: “Dee was very gentle and very kind, and very polite about my steering!”The £10,000 charitable donation by Artemis Investment Management will be made to the RNLI.

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. Mark Tyndall, Chief Executive, Artemis Investment Management commented: “It couldn’t have been better Artemis Challenge. After a few years where the wind has been a bit light, we had a proper breeze, almost had a restart halfway through the race when the breeze collapsed, then we had good breeze and a great romp home.”

Position / Entries / skippers / charities:
1st Mike Golding Yacht Racing / Mike Golding / RNLI2nd Veolia Environnement / Roland Jourdain / Plan
3rd Artemis Ocean Racing / helmsman Simon Hiscocks / Kids Company4th Gaes Centros Auditivos / Dee Caffari / Toe in the Water
5th VE1 / Ryan Breymaier & Boris Herrman / Chemo Outreach Project6th Toe in the Water / Steve White / RNLI
News, photos and videos all at artemischallenge.com Challenge 2010-08-03T16:17:00+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/one_crewed_sprint_and_one_solo_marathon_start_tomorrow/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/one_crewed_sprint_and_one_solo_marathon_start_tomorrow/#When:15:10:17Z Six round-the-world IMOCA 60 racers will be on the start line for the fourth consecutive Artemis Challenge at Cowes Week including Britain’s Mike Golding and Dee Caffari. Joining the renowned round the world skippers will be sporting stars Zara Phillips, Amy Williams, GMTV presenter Emma Crosby and former England rugby international Martin Bayfield… 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 CompanyToe in the Water / Steve White / RNLI Gaes Centros Auditivos / Dee Caffari / Toe in the WaterVeolia Environnement / Roland Jourdain / PlanMike Golding Yacht Racing / Mike Golding / RNLIVE1 / Ryan Breymaier & Boris Herrman / Chemo Outreach ProjectFollow 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. Challenge 2010-08-02T15:10:17+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/Artemis_solo_sailor_starts_next_leg_of_solo_Solitaire_du_Figaro/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/Artemis_solo_sailor_starts_next_leg_of_solo_Solitaire_du_Figaro/#When:12:27:41Z The second leg of the 2010 Solitaire du Figaro starts tomorrow and will see the skippers leave Gijon (Spain) for Brest (France), 418 miles further North… The second leg of the 2010 Solitaire du Figaro starts tomorrow and will see the skippers leave Gijon (Spain) for Brest (France), 418 miles further North. The fleet will go back to some of the treacherous zones they had to cope with on their way down - notably the tricky Raz de Sein, between Sein Island and the tip of Brittany (Pointe du Raz), a narrow and very tidal passage. The final part will be played in the Brest Bay, which is accessed via another narrow ‘corridor’, and this potential congestion point - subject to currents as well - may well act as a gate. Good timing tide-wise will be crucial! Jonny and his rivals will have light breeze to start with, and most of the leg should be sailed upwind.After an exhausting first 500+ mile leg, Jonny gave us his impressions from Gijon, where he arrived on Saturday, July 31 at 5:00 in the morning, finishing in 36th place.“I was really happy to have nailed it before the Barfleur tip”, says Jonny Malbon enthusiastically recounting his good tactical moves, “I managed to remain in the right pack during first half of the leg. Going through the Chenal du Four in Brittany (note: a notoriously treacherous zone of very strong currents) some guys decided to go through the rocks and I followed suit - on the charts it looked horrendously scary but I knew it was the right move, and it worked. Tackling Biscay I was pretty happy, with a lot of boats a long way behind. By the time the boat was stable and I could leave the pilot on, I made the conscious choice of getting some rest, I took six slots of 10 minutes sleep: slept, woke up, checked everything and went back to sleep. At that stage I was talking to myself and seeing things, I really needed it. Tactically I played in the middle, and for a while I was 22nd or 23rd while in the East boats were suffering - at that time we did not really know the guys in the West were doing so well, and it was tricky to keep the speed up with the spinnaker in light winds and choppy seas…” “The positive thing was to have boats around me, I realised I had the same speed so it was frustrating for everybody, but at least I wasn’t stressing on my own thinking I was slower than the others. I started slipping down the leaderboard (note: the front of the fleet escaped when the ridge trapped the the boats that were behind) but it was still a real fight. I had Fred Rivet and Damien Cloarec behind me, I had to work hard until Gijon to finish in front of Damien. At the end I had dropped my kite because the angle got tighter, but when I saw him coming back hard on me I re-hoisted and finished almost upwind with the spi, like a Code 0. So all in all, I was a bit upset not to be slightly higher up the rankings, but on the flipside of that I’m happy because I’ve stayed in touch with everybody and I feel I’ve sailed a good race. There’s a couple of tactical choices which could have been better, of course, but looking ahead to the next leg I feel ready to go and I’m impatient to take the start.”Sleep… what sleep?This first leg has been brutal on the sailors, with tricky coastal racing and light conditions not allowing for a lot of rest - and that is a real understatement, because Jonny managed to get 3 hours of sleep out of 3 days and 15 hours at sea! “I ate all the time to keep my energy going, but I was so shattered I heard voices and saw somebody on the boat. Very vivid hallucinations! You know it’s your mind playing tricks but at the same time it’s so real it’s amazing.”You can follow Jonny on Leg 2 of the Solitaire du Figaro. Click HERE for the tracking map, latest news and results… 2010-08-02T12:27:41+00:00 http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/artemis_offshore_academy_now_open_to_applicants/ http://www.artemisoceanracing.com/site/artemis_offshore_academy_now_open_to_applicants/#When:13:45:06Z The Artemis Offshore Academy is now officially open to applicants. The Academy which was launched on 24th June as part of Artemis Investment Management’s recommitment to the sport of British sailing, provides a training programme of excellence for British short-handed sailors… The Artemis Offshore Academy is now officially open to applicants.  The Academy which was launched on 24th June as part of Artemis Investment Management’s recommitment to the sport of British sailing, provides a training programme of excellence for British short-handed sailors. The Academy is designed to help talented sailors win major offshore solo and short-handed races with the ultimate goal of putting a British sailor in a strong position to win the Vendée Globe in 2016 or 2020.The first step for future solo sailing stars is to complete the online application form then, if chosen, they will participate in the Selection Trials to be held between 13th-26th September 2010 at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy.  The venue, which is the sailing host venue for the 2012 Olympics is one of the training facilities to be used by the Artemis Offshore Academy. A Development Squad of 8-12 members will be chosen at the end of the Selection Trials.Read a special report in tomorrow’s Daily Telegraph sport section on the new Artemis Offshore Academy.The Selection Trials process is expected to attract a diverse range of sailors with varying levels of experience and from different disciplines, whether it be Olympians, dinghy sailors or offshore racers.  Rod Carr, ex-CEO of the Royal Yachting Association and who heads up the Artemis Offshore Academy Advisory Board explains further: “In our initial exploratory round-table discussions about the Academy, it became clear that we needed to cast the net as wide as possible to ensure we channel the right talent into the Academy. Sailing solo or short-handed is a specialist discipline that requires many skills – not just racing performance – and a lot of it comes down to the individuals passion and determination.  We want the door to be open to sailors from any discipline and the Selection Trial process will filter out those most capable and suited to short-handed offshore racing.”Since the launch in June, with support from the sailing industry, the Academy has been inundated with emails. Double Olympic 49er medalist, Simon Hiscocks, was one of the first to express an interest: “I’d always followed the single-handed offshore sailing scene and have some kind of strange allure to it. But I had no idea how to make that jump from Olympic dinghy sailing to this discipline – it seemed to me you needed a sponsor and a boat, and they are way out of the price range of what I could afford or get involved with. But now the Artemis Offshore Academy has made that opportunity more realistic. Young British sailors will now see a pathway… They go through a very successful youth training programme to a very successful Olympic programme but not everybody makes it in the Olympics and there is a lot of very talented sailors who now have a pathway to potentially breakthrough into the big world of the single-handed offshore sailing.”Watch the latest video interview of Simon Hiscocks speaking about the Artemis Offshore Academy HEREThe Artemis Offshore Academy is also open to Associate Sailors who have managed to get funding for their own campaign but who would benefit from the Academy’s coaching programmes. As well as Ambassador Sailors who are already competing on the international short-handed stage but who can benefit from being part of a knowledge sharing and coordinated training programme. Ultimately, these ‘professional’ sailors can assist in the career development of the next generation of short-handed sailors. How to apply?To apply for the first round of Selection Trials for the Artemis Offshore Academy Development Squad, the following criteria must be met:• Applicants must hold a British passport, or be immediately eligible to apply for one• Applicants must be over18 years of age at the time of application and be able to swim, physically fit and mentally tough• Applicants must have performed with distinction in at least one of the following disciplines:- dinghy racing- offshore racing- keelboat/sportboat racing- long-distance sailing• Applicants must be available to attend a 3-day selection process at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, taking place between 13th -26th of September 2010• If selected for the Development Squad, applicants must be prepared to spend at least between 50-75% of their time at official squad training. This will also involve training on location at the CEM in La Grande Motte (South of France) during the period January to March 2011 period.For further information about the Artemis Offshore Academy and to find the online Application Form, visit the Academy section.Artemis Investment Management announced their continued support of British sailing in 2010 across all levels from grass roots to fully professional ocean racing. This new commitment establishes Artemis as one of the longest and most significant existing supporters of British sailing.For all enquiries about the Artemis Offshore Academy, email:  academy@artemisoceanracing.comFor all media enquiries, please contact:Camilla GreenE: camilla@artemisoceanracing.comM: +44 (0)7970 746482 2010-07-30T13:45:06+00:00