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The Artemis Transat 2008
von Sutton Harbour, Plymouth (UK) nach Boston - Start 11. Mai 2008
www.theartemistransat.com - Übersicht 2008
20 February 2008
SOLO SAILING GREATS GATHER IN LONDON…
* Some of the greatest stars from the world of solo sailing gathered in London today for the official launch of The Artemis Transat – the oldest solo ocean race in history and the precursor to this year’s solo Vendée Globe * Mike Richey (owner of the famous 25ft Jester) competing in every race since 1964, Dame Ellen MacArthur, Mike Golding OBE, Conrad Humphries, Loick Peyron and Florence Arthaud were just some of the stars to be reunited at this unique event at The Haymarket Hotel in London today * UK’s leading investment company, Artemis, official title partner to The Artemis Transat welcomed the sailing greats from past, present and future, and confirmed the official entry list for the 13th edition of the race that starts on 11th May 2008 from Sutton Harbour Plymouth to Rowes Wharf, Boston
It is an event rarely seen in the sporting world of solo sailing, the gathering of many of the great solo sailors from the past, present and future who came together to celebrate the official launch of the 13th edition of the oldest solo race history, now known as The Artemis Transat.
Dame Ellen MacArthur, who won the race in 2000 aged 23 years and went onto finish 2nd in the solo Vendée Globe, stood alongside Mike Richey (aged 90) who competed in every edition of the race from 1964 onboard the famous Jester. The first edition of the race in 1960 was founded by Lt Col Blondie Hasler and Sir Francis Chichester (Gipsy Moth III) who was the first to reach New York after 40 days - it now takes the modern-day IMOCA 60 racing machines a little over 10 days to cross the 2800-mile course to Boston.
“I think the reason The Artemis Transat is so special is that it is THE race that kicked off and started solo sailing,” commented MacArthur.
From the other side of the channel came French legends Loick Peyron, who won the race twice in 1992 and 1996 – only he and Eric Tabarly hold that claim to fame - and Florence Arthaud who achieved unprecedented levels of acclaim in her home country for her participation in this race and the solo Route du Rhum.
Britain’s Mike Golding OBE (Ecover) who won the race in 2004 has every intention of defending his IMOCA 60 title but he will be facing tough competition from the other skippers representing one of the strongest field of IMOCA 60 solo skippers in the history of the race. Fellow Brits Brian Thompson (Pindar), Jonny Malbon (Artemis Ocean Racing), Dee Caffari (Aviva) and Samantha Davies (Roxy) all pose a strong threat, whilst the combined force of the very best of the French solo sailors including Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia), Seb Josse (BT), Vincent Riou (PRB) and Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) to name a few, will make the IMOCA 60 title a hotly contested affair.
Alex Bennett (Fujifilm), who will be racing in the smaller Class 40 fleet, carries the hopes of the host city Plymouth on his shoulders and he will be racing against up to 15 other Class 40 skippers including Italian maestro Giovanni Soldini and, hopefully, Florence Arthaud.
It is a daunting prospect for any sailor to set out alone, across the North Atlantic, facing the risk of huge storms, icebergs and dense fog – the 2,800 mile course takes the sailors through the heart of ‘Perfect Storm’ territory and close to where the Titanic was lost.
UK’s leading investment company, Artemis, official title partner to the race welcomed the sailing greats from past, present and future:
"Artemis Investment Management is delighted to support The Transat, the sailing world's most enduring single handed ocean race. It takes skill, passion, persistence, knowledge and dedicated teamwork to compete with the best in the offshore ocean racing world. All our activities in sailing reflect our company's core values and philosophy. We look forward to a successful and enjoyable event and I wish all the competitors a safe and quick crossing to Boston," commented Mark Tyndall, Chief Executive of Artemis.
The Artemis Transat will start on Sunday, 11th May, 2008 from Sutton Harbour Plymouth and will finish at Rowes Wharf, Boston Harbour Hotel, Boston whilst the smaller Class 40 fleet will finish at the Corinthian Yacht Club, Marblehead.
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Dame Commander Ellen Mac Arthur
Stargast der Eröffnungsfeier
©John Gichigi/Getty Images/ISAF
Mike Golding -
Loick Peyron
Vincent Riou und Sebastian Josse
Ellen, Sam Davis, Emma Richards
Michel Desjoyeaux(li)
Roland Jourdain
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2008 entry list for The Artemis Transat at 15.2.08:
IMOCA
Akena Veranda/ Arnaud Boissieres (FRA)
Artemis/ Jonny Malbon (UK)
Aviva/ Dee Caffari (UK)
BritAir/ Armel Le Cleach’h (FRA)
BT/ Sebastien Josse (FRA)
Ecover/ Mike Golding (UK)
Foncia / Michel Desjoyaux (FRA)
Pakea Bizkaia 2009/ Unai Basurko (BASQ)
Pindar/ Brian Thompson (UK)
PRB/ Vincent Riou (FRA)
Roxy/ Samantha Davies
Veolia Environnement/ Roland Jourdain (FRA)
Generali/ Yann Elies (FRA)
Cervin En R/ Yannick Bestaven (FRA)
Gitana Eighty/ Loick Peyron (FRA)
Groupe Bel/ Kito de Pavant (FRA)
Safran/ Marc Guillemot (FRA)
Class40
Appart’City/ Yvan Noblet (FRA)
Fujifilm/ Alex Bennett (UK)
Groupe Partouche/ Christophe Coatnoan (FRA)
Mistral Loisirs-Elior/ Thierry Bouchard (FRA)
Ocean Eleven/ Louis Duc (FRA)
Prevoir VIE/ Benoit Parnaudeau (FRA)
Telecom Italia/ Giovani Soldini (ITA)
Miranda Merron (UK)
Patrick Carpentier (FRA)
Halvard Mabire (FRA)
[NB: deadline for entries was the 15.2.08, although the Organising Authority has the right to accept entries post-deadline subject to their discretion. This is especially applicable to some of the Class 40 skippers who are still in the process of securing funding to do the race]
Zum Umfeld des Transat Race
*Welcome to the 13th Edition of The Artemis Transat:
Established in 1960, the singlehanded transatlantic race today known as The Artemis Transat is the oldest of all solo races. Its rich history of 12 past editions has seen the birth of modern sailing icons – from Eric Tabarly to Ellen MacArthur, from Francis Chichester to Francis Joyon – and shaped the evolution of contemporary Ocean racing in the fields of naval design, weather analysis and communications.
The Artemis Transat 2008 brings together two of the most exciting monohull classes of offshore racing, the world-level IMOCA Open 60s and the rapidly growing Class40 – a mix of pre-eminent ocean racing professionals and accomplished amateurs. The race will be part of the official IMOCA Ocean Racing World Championship 2008-2009 and importantly it will be the last opportunity for the skippers to test themselves and their machines for the solo, non-stop round the world Vendee Globe race, starting in November 2008.
For nearly fifty years the world’s elite sailors have been drawn to the challenge of crossing the large and demanding Atlantic ocean along the 2,800- mile northern route. Even in early summer, huge low-pressure systems bring gale force winds and steep seas into the paths of competing boats. Then, as the fleet close in on the Newfoundland coast, the threat of icebergs becomes a reality combined with the risk of dense fog, making the final section of this 2,800 mile race a stressful one for the already physically exhausted skippers.
*Artemis Investment Management Limited
One of the UK's leading investment companies, Artemis is an owner-managed investment provider known for achieving superior returns through funds that regularly beat their benchmark and peers. Since the first funds were launched in 1998, Artemis has established a reputation for strong investment performance in up as well as down markets. For more information on the company and the funds Artemis offer, visit http://www.theartemistransat.com/email/www.artemisonline.co.uk or contact the Client Services department on 0800 092 2051.
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