IMOCA 60s, Volvo Ocean 65s and trimarans race around the Isle of

IMOCA 60s, Volvo Ocean 65s and trimarans race around
the Isle of Wight for a £10,000 charity prize. The race
starts from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line at 10:00AM
on Thursday 13th August 2015.
www.artemischallenge.com
Artemis Investment Management LLP
- backing British sailing since 2006
Independent and owner-managed, Artemis opened for business in 1997. Its aim was, and still is,
exemplary investment performance and client service. All Artemis’ staff share these two precepts – and
the same flair and enthusiasm for fund management.
The firm now manages some £22.0 billion* across a range of funds, two investment trusts, a venture
capital trust and both pooled and segregated institutional portfolios.
Artemis’ fund managers invest in the funds that they and their colleagues manage. This has been a key
tenet of Artemis’ approach to investment since the firm started. It means that we ‘eat our own cooking’.
It means that our fund managers’ interests are directly aligned with those of our investors.
As part of Artemis’ distinctive culture, the Artemis Charitable Foundation receives each year a fixed
percentage of the firm’s revenues. That income is passed on to charities chosen by our staff. And by
underwriting such events as the Artemis Kindrochit Quadrathlon, the Foundation enables further
charitable giving. All this encourages our staff to contribute to the world beyond fund management.
“It takes skill, knowledge, passion, persistence and dedicated teamwork to compete with the best in the world
of offshore ocean racing. The entire Artemis Ocean Racing campaign reflects Artemis Investment Management
LLP’s core values and philosophy. Our success is dependent on planning the best course through uncharted
territory and hunting down profits for our diverse client base.” Mark Tyndall, senior partner and a founder
member, Artemis Investment Management LLP.
Source: Artemis as at 30 April 2015
For more information, visit artemis.co.uk.
The Artemis Challenge
at Abertdeen Asset Management Cowes Week 2015
“This year’s Artemis Challenge at Aberdeen
Asset Management Cowes Week will see
the biggest fleet assembled in the race’s
nine year history. A combination of state
of the art IMOCA 60s, Volvo Ocean 65s
and some powerful multihulls sets this
up to be the best ever. We have some of
sailing’s great names taking part and we also
look forward to welcoming a number of
celebrities who will get the chance to sail a
historic course on some cutting edge boats.
“the biggest fleet
assembled in the
race’s nine year
history”
The Artemis Challenge, sponsored by
Artemis investment Management, one of
the UK’s leading investment companies,
is recognised as one of the key events of
Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week
and is a magnificent spectacle, showcasing
some of the best offshore racing within easy
reach of spectators. The race, an invitational
event for IMOCA 60s, Volvo Ocean 65s and
Multihulls, follows the classic America’s Cup
route around the Isle of Wight, starting at
10:00AM on Thursday 13th August from
the Royal Yacht Squadron Line.
As well as being a fantastic spectacle,
teams will once again be racing to raise
money for some important causes which
is a significant part of this event. It really
is shaping up to be the pinnacle of Cowes
Week and we are looking forward to
watching a great battle on the water.”
- Mark Tyndall, Artemis CEO
The Artemis Challenge Course
Starting at 1000 BST on the Royal Yacht Squadron Line on Thursday August 13th, the
fastest IMOCA 60 to complete the course around the Isle of Wight (weather permitting)
will win £7,000 for the charity of their choice, with £2,000 going to the winner of
multihulls and £1,000 for the winner of the Volvo Ocean 65 battle.
*Course is weather dependant and subject to change
Time to Beat
Round the Isle of Wight World Record
Round the Isle of Wight World Record
- currently held by Multihull Fonica
Record holder: Michel Desjoyeaux/Foncia
Time: 2 hours, 21 minutes, 25 seconds
Average speed: 21.3 knots
Distance: 50 miles (westabout)
Date set: 16th August 2012 (Artemis Challenge)
Previous record: Steve Fosset/Playstation
- 2 hours, 33 minutes, 55 seconds
The Competitors
For 2015, the Artemis Challenge welcomes a mixed fleet of IMOCA 60s, Volvo Ocean
65s and Multihulls to the 50 mile charity race, skippered by some of the biggest names in
ocean racing from Britain and Europe.
The Monohulls
Artemis Ocean Racing II - IMOCA 60
Skipper: Simon Clay
Artemis Ocean Racing has been participating in the Artemis Challenge since its inception
in 2007, helmed by a line up of world-renowned offshore skippers and British Olympic
medallists. For 2015, British skipper Simon Clay will take to the driving seat for the 50mile charity sprint. In 2014, Artemis Ocean Racing II set the Round Britain and Ireland
Monohull 60ft World Record, completing the race in a time of five days, 14 hours and 54
seconds. Her average speed was 13.23 knots. In 2015 the Artemis Ocean Racing II crew
have been racing in the Royal Ocean Racing Club series, and now look forward to competing in the Artemis Challenge, the historic Rolex Fastnet Race and the Rolex Middle
Sea Race.
Crew
Simon Clay
Mikey Ferguson
Adam Humphrey
Conrad Manning
Ben Mir
Mark Tyndall
Charity
RNLI
The Competitors
Banque Populaire - IMOCA 60
Skipper: Armel Le Cléac’h
Armel Le Cléac’h joined forces with Banque Populaire in 2011. Twice the winner of the
Solitaire du Figaro and the Transat AG2R, twice second in the Vendée Globe and holder
of numerous singlehanded records in multihulls, he is returning this year to the IMOCA
circuit with a brand new 60 foot monohull and even bigger sporting goals. The Banque
Populaire VIII monohull is a latest generation IMOCA, launched at the start of June.
Developed by VPLP/Verdier design team, it is the result of innovation, above all with the
addition of foils which are very different from those so far seen. The Artemis Challenge
is the first opportunity for Armel Le Cléac’h to take on in competition his rivals onboard
this new steed.
Crew
Armel Le Cléac’h
Erwan Taberly
Lucas Ronan
Pierre Herisse
Kevin Escoffier
Charity
Les Voiles de L’ Espoir
The Competitors
Comme Un Seul Homme - IMOCA 60
Skipper: Eric Bellion
Eric studied at EM LYON Between 2003 and 2006. Together with two friends he
circumvented the world singlehandedly on the boat Kifouine. The journey opened his eyes
to the difference. In 2010, Eric captured the record between Lorient and Mauritius with
a mixed handicapped / able crew, a world first! To demonstrate that difference can be a
strength, he co-founded Team Jolokia in 2012, a crew recruited because of its differences
that aligns the biggest regattas aboard a Volvo Ocean 60. This will be Eric’s first Artemis
Challenge.
Crew
Eric Bellion
Gaël Renault
Matthieu Hacquebart
Audrey Godard
Arthur Bois
Thierry Williem
Romain Szyjan
Antony Marchand
Charity
Foundation Culture & Diversité
The Competitors
Groupe Quéguiner - IMOCA 60
Skipper: Yann Eliès
In spring 2012, as he prepared to line up for his 13th Solitaire du Figaro with rage and
a desire to finish intact but with a white hull, Yann Eliès first met Claude Quéguiner CEO of the group. Between the two men who share a deep commitment to the Breton
territory and a keen sense of effort and commitment, the agreement is immediate. So the
story begins. Confidence and motivation is the winning equation. The same recipe works
perfectly again in 2013 when Yann wins the Solitaire again, but a third victory is missed in
2014 - the fault of a dismasting in the first stage. The Briochin sailor and his partner, who
surf together on the wave of success, decided to continue their joint adventure, but aiming
for better. Together, they plan to take on the Vendée Globe 2016-2017.
Having recently won the 2015 Solitaire du Figaro, Yann takes to the Artemis Challenge
start line for the very first time. Up against former Solitaire and Vendée Globe
competitors, he will have his work cut out to bring his IMOCA 60 to victory.
Crew
Yann Eliès
Charity
La Fédération Leucémie Espoir
The Competitors
Hugo Boss - IMOCA 60
Skipper: Alex Thomson
A strong contender, AlexThomson has raced in the Artemis Challenge three times before.
His goal is to be the first British team to win the pinnacle of offshore racing. Alex will be
competing in the 26,000 nautical miles, non-stop, unassisted Vendée Globe in November
2016, currently Britain’s only chance to claim the Vendée Globe trophy.
Alex Thomson is the youngest yachtsman to ever win a round-the-world race. When he
triumphed in the Clipper Round the World Race in 1998/99, he set a record he still holds
today. In 2003 Thomson made a spectacular debut in the world of solo sailing by breaking
the distance world record.
In 2008 he claimed second position in the Barcelona World Race, setting his second distance world record in a monohull. Following this, he focused completely on the world’s
toughest single-handed yachting race: the Vendée Globe in which the competitors sail
26,000 nautical miles (46,300 km) nonstop around the world. In 2013 he finished this
classic in third place.
Crew
Alex Thomson
Guillermo Altadill
Stewart Hosford
Ross Daniel
Jesse Naimark Rowse
Will Jackson
Jack Peplow
Chris Rashley
Celebrity guest
Charity
Great Ormond Street
Hospital
The Competitors
Initiatives Coeur - IMOCA 60
Skipper: Tanguy de Lamotte
Since he began ocean racing, Tanguy de Lamotte has dedicated his life to the service of
sick children. His background in sailing and his commitment to charity have always been
intimately linked. The Initiatives - Coeur sailboat, skippered by Tanguy engages in big
races to save children. Every race is an opportunity for a major awareness campaign in
which the two main sponsors of the ship fund children with serious heart defects. Tanguy
races his first Artemis Challenge.
Crew
Tanguy de Lamotte
David Sineau
Eric Lamy
Joseph Brault
Solène Brannellec
William Heathcote
Charity
Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque
The Competitors
Kilcullen Voyager - IMOCA 60
Skipper: Enda O’Coineen (IRL)
Irish team Kilcullen Voyager will make their debut in the ninth edition of the Artemis
Challenge.
Crew
Enda O’Coilneen
Charity
Atlantic Youth Trust
The Competitors
PRB- IMOCA 60
Skipper: Vincent Riou
At 42, Vincent Riou is one of the most emblematic figures of the Vendée Globe. The
history that links him to this race began in 2000 when he made his first circumnavigation.
Physically sharp, Vincent combines his qualities as navigator, trimmer, strategist,
technician, handyman… In addition to his nine victories on the IMOCA circuit, his
record reveals his versatility: from Laser to Solitaire du Figaro, from First Class 8 to ocean
multihulls and Diam 24, he has done nearly everything. At 42 years old, he is certainly at
the height of his powers.
Launched in March 2010, Vincent Riou’s monohull PRB has benefited from a complete
overhaul in the winter of 2014. It took four months to undertake all the desired changes.
It was necessary first of all to ensure the boat received a new IMOCA certificate. But Vincent did not stop there! He also adapted the daggerboards and the rudders. It was therefore logical for the skipper to cheekily name her “PRB 2.0”. The goal? To be the fastest in
the whole IMOCA fleet. Will it be the fastest IMOCA in Vincent Riou’s fourth attempt
at the Artemis Challenge?
Crew
Vincent Riou
Charity
TBC
The Competitors
Safran- IMOCA 60
Skipper: Morgan Lagravière
Safran Sailing Team are no strangers to the Artemis Challenge, but this year they’re introducing a new skipper to the race! Morgan Lagravière, a young skipper with a very impressive track record, was chosen in early 2014 to fly Safran’s colors in the IMOCA Open 60
class, especially for the next Vendée Globe solo round-the-world race in 2016. Morgan
is one of today’s most promising young skippers. The new Safran Imoca Open 60 class
ocean racer (60 ft/18.28 meters), like the original boat, is the product of naval architects
Vincent Lauriot Prévost, from the firm VPLP, and Guillaume Verdier, coupled with the
technological expertise of Safran and the maritime know-how of the Safran Sailing Team.
With this new ocean racer, Safran intends to set the pace against six other new-generation
boats that will be competing in the Vendée Globe 2016 round-the-world solo race. The
new IMOCA class prototype was designed from the ground up to be compact, maneuverable and as light as possible, so it can ride the waves… In other words, perfect for a solo
race!
Crew
Morgan Lagraviére
Nicolas Lunven
Nicolas Lingois
Jules Delpech
Charity
Aviation sans Frontiéres
The Competitors
SMA - IMOCA 60
Skipper: Paul Meilhat
Emerging from the shadows, Paul Meilhat is part of the upcoming offshore racing generation and a newcomer to the Artemis Challenge. Having initially campaigned in Olympic
classes Paul then moved into the singlehanded Figaro class where he spent seven years and
now at 32 years of age Paul Meilhat has just moved up to the IMOCA 60 class. The mark
of the man is his passion and ability coupled with his temperament and defiant attitude.
The sports programme for the SMA team includes the four big French sailing events
whose particularity is that they are sailed either two-handed or singlehanded. From April
2015 Paul started sailing an IMOCA 60, but not just any IMOCA 60, the boat that won
the last Vendée Globe and the Route du Rhum. This Autumn he will line up on the start
line of the Transat Jacques Vabre with two-time Vendée Globe winner Michel Desjoyeaux
as his co-skipper, before racing back to Europe before Christmas singlehanded. 2015 is
the year for Paul to get used to sailing a big racing prototype and 2016 is the year he will
tackle solo sailing’s Holy Grail - the Vendée Globe.
Crew
Paul Meilhat
Michel Desjoyeaux
Marc Liardet
Charity
Surf Rider Foundation Europe
The Competitors
Dongfeng Race Team - Volvo Ocean 65
Skipper: Graham Tourell
Having recently raced for China in the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15, finishing third overall, Dongfeng Race Team return to the start line of the Artemis Challenge for the second
year running.
The objective of Dongfeng was to deliver a competitive campaign with, for the first time
in the history of the race, multiple Chinese sailors onboard. This is a key element in setting the conditions for the Volvo Ocean Race 2017-18 when the aim is to have a campaign with the majority of the sailors onboard being Chinese and for the 2020-21 edition
of the race, a 100% Chinese project with a Chinese skipper and a Chinese crew. There is
a strong momentum to create a legacy for offshore sailing so that Chinese sailors can excel
in this discipline, in the same way the Chinese Olympic sailors have done.
Competing in the team’s second Artemis Challenge, Dongfeng will be skippred by Graham Tourell. Also known as ‘Gringo’, Graham has been Boat Captain for Charles Caudrelier and the Volvo Ocean 65 ‘Dongfeng’ from the moment it left Green Marine in
Southampton two years ago. He has run the day-to-day work of the Dongfeng Race Team
shore crew throughout the Volvo Ocean Race campaign and knows the boat better than
anyone.
Crew
Graham Tourrell
Aaron Cooper
Jack Bouttell
Gildas Mahé
Dan Saltmarsh
Henry Bomby
Gonzalo Infante
Charity
Race for Water
The Competitors
SCA - Volvo Ocean 65
Skipper: Carolijn Brouwer
Team SCA return to the start line of the Artemis Challenge again this year, following the
Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15. Whilst their Volvo Ocean 65 is usually skippered by Sam
Davies in the Challenge, 2015 sees team member Carolijn Brouwer take to the helm.
A multiple Olympian, world champion and ISAF World Sailor of the Year, Carolijn is
an internationally renown and respected sailor. She has since spent years travelling the
world as a top Olympic class sailor and yachtswoman and has become a role model and
inspiration for young men and women alike. Carolijn’s sailing resume is impressive and
includes three Olympic Games, a Volvo round the world race, an IYRU World Youth title,
multiple world and European titles in the Laser Radial and Europe dinghy classes and a
world silver in the Tornado catamaran.
In 2013 Carolijn joined Team SCA - the first all female team to compete in the Volvo
Ocean Race for 12 years. She stepped onboard as Watch Captain, with the team winning
a historic Leg into France, becoming the first all female team to take line honours in a leg
of the Volvo Ocean Race for 25 years.
Crew
Carolijn Brouwer
Dee Caffari
Liz Wardley
Annie Lush
Stacey Jackson
Sophie Ciszek
Libby Greenhalgh
Sall Barkow
Abby Ehler
Sara Hastreiter
Aksel Magdahl
Martin Strömberg
Charity
Women in Sport
The Competitors
The Multihulls
Concise 10 - Trimaran
Skipper: Ned Collier-Wakefield
Team Concise are ready to make their first attack on the Artemis Challenge this year, led
by twenty - six year old Ned who has been the Team Concise director/skipper for the past
8 years. A highly accredited sailor in his own right, he has led the team to some notable
victories, recently including line honors in the Round the Island Race and smashing the
multi-hull record in the Cowes Dinard St Malo Race setting a new record of 9 hours 12
minutes and 35 seconds. He is also now renowned as one of the top Class 40 sailors with
his young team being described by the Royal Ocean Racing Club as the future of British
Offshore Sailing.
Crew
Ned Collier-Wakefield
Martin Watts
Johnny Malbon
Paul Larsen
Tom Dawson
Tom Smedley
Fraser brown
Charity
Dreams Come True
The Competitors
Oman Sail Musandam - Trimaran
Skipper: Sidney Gavignet
Oman Sail’s trimaran ‘Musandam’ is back for a another shot at the Artemis Challenge
trophy this year to beat the round the island world speed record set by fellow MOD70
competitor, Foncia, in 2012. Musandam was second over in the line in the 2014 edition
of the Challenge.
Established in 2008, Oman Sail is a pioneering national initiative that is using the sport
of sailing in a novel and ambitious way to rekindle the Sultanate of Oman’s maritime
heritage, foster Oman’s socio-economic development and to promote the country
as a high-end tourist destination. The scale, vision and early successes of this unique
programme, which aims to instil confidence and teach valuable transferable life skills to a
generation of young Omanis, is without precedent.
Crew
Sidney Gavignet (Fra)
Damian Foxall (IRL)
Fahad Al Hasni (OMA)
Sami Al Shukaili (OMA)
Yassir Al Rhabi (OMA)
Serge Betsen (FRA)
Ben Saunders (ENG)
Charity
Al Hayat Association
The Competitors
Phaedo3 - Trimaran
Skipper: Lloyd Thornburg
This Mod70 is all set to take the Artemis Challenge by storm as it competes in the race
as Phaedo3 for the first time. This isn’t actually the multihull’s first attempt at the race,
however. Formerly Michael Desjoyeaux’s Foncia, the boat holds the record for the fastest
multihull round the island - can Lloyd Thornburg’s Phaedo3 do it again?
Lloyd Thornburg’s passion for ultra-high performance racing started back in 2011 aboard
his custom-built Gunboat 66 Phaedo. But after several years of racing Phaedo, he wanted
to go much, much faster. So when Michel Desjoyeaux’s MOD 70 Foncia came up for sale,
Thornburg jumped at the chance raise his game to the next level and purchased the trimaran in early 2015, wrapped it in its distinctive chrome covering, and named it Phaedo3.
Since February 2015, Thornburg has racked up an impressive number of wins aboard
Phaedo3 , including the RORC Caribbean 600 and Les Voiles de Saint Barth. His tri also
set the world record from Antigua to Newport Rhode Island and has just recorded the
fastest elapsed time in the Transatlantic Race. And if that’s not enough, Thornburg has just
returned to Cowes from Hawaii fresh off winning the multihull class in the Transpacifc
Race aboard his original Phaedo cat. He and co-skipper Brian Thompson along with the
rest of his team are looking to some great performances aboard Phaedo3 in the RORC
Fastnet race and the Rolex Middle Sea Race.
Crew
Lloyd Thornburg
Brian Thompson
Miles Seddon
Sam Goodchild
Paul Allen
Warren Fitzgerald
Sam Bason
Charity
Great Ormond Street Hospital
The Competitors
Prince de Bretagne - Trimaran
Skipper: Lionel Lemonchois
Last year’s Artemis Challenge winner, Prince de Bretagne, returns to the start line once
again to defend the top spot. Skippered by French sailor, Lionel Lemonchois, the Maxi80
Prince de Bretagne is a 24 metre multihull with the weight of an 18 metre boat - combine
this with the desire to scoop a second victory, and you can bet your bottom dollar that it’s
going to be fast!
Skipper Lionel Lemonchois first sailed on the family monohull, but soon climbed onboard multihulls. Since 1985, Lionel has never stopped sailing. Without really knowing
why or how, he regularly found himself as crew alongside the best skippers: Karine Fauconnier, Pascal Bidégorry, Bruno Peyron, Franck Cammas. But it was in singlehanded
sailing that he wrote the most beautiful pages of his history on the water, winning the
2006 Route du Rhum on Gitana 11, and again in 2010 in the Multi50 class at the helm
of Prince de Bretagne.
Crew
Lionel Lemonchois
Roland Jourdain
Mayeul Risset
Ronan Legoff
Christophe Lessegue
Gurloes Merrien
Didier Levourch
Charity
Les Sauveteurs en Mer
Celebrity Guests
The Artemis Challenge has long attracted a stellar list of celebrity guests. Teams competing
in the race in the past have included sports stars Will Greenwood, James Haskell, Amy
Williams, Nick Dempsey and a host of 2012 Olympic medal winners. Other notables
include Bryan Adams, Lady Gabriella Windsor, James and Oliver, Phelps, Simon and
Yasmin Le Bon, the Weasley twins from the Harry Potter, former Labour party spindoctor Alistair Campbell and actors Ewan Macgregor and Douglas Booth.
For 2015, Zara Phillips will be joining rugby stars from England, Scotland and France to
take up the challenge to claim a £10,000 prize by winning the annual charity race around
the Isle of Wight.
Zara and her husband, former England captain Mike Tindall will be on board Artemis
Ocean Racing and will be hoping to claim line honours ahead of Scottish rugby hero
Gavin Hastings, former French rugby star Serge Betsen and French prop Sylvain Marconnet. Hastings will be racing with the all-female Team SCA, who recently circumnavigated
the globe in the Volvo Ocean Race, whilst Marconnet will be joining the French skipper
Paul Meilhat on SMA. Polar Explorer Ben Saunders will also join the Challenge aboard
Musandam-Oman Sail.
Olympic equestrienne Zara said “Mike and I have enjoyed racing in the Artemis
Challenge a number of times and it’s always a lot of fun. With the tension building ahead
of the Rugby World Cup and England’s game against France next weekend, it is great to
get rugby players from England, Scotland and France to join in. At the end of the day
everyone is racing to try and raise money for charity but I know these guys still have a
strong competitive spirit so am expecting we’ll have a decent battle on the water!”
Each guest competes at the heart of the teams, pushing their boats to the max as they
sprint round the island for the chance to win prize money for their chosen charity and to
lift the Artemis Challenge trophy.
Follow the Artemis Challenge
Follow some of the world’s fastest yachts, skippered by some of
the biggest names in sport round the Island as part of the Artemis
Challenge 2015 via:
Twitter @ArtemisRace #ArtemisChallenge
www.artemischallenge.com
Press contact
For more information on The Artemis Challenge at Aberdeen
Asset Management Cowes Week please contact:
Camilla Green
M: 07970 746482
E: camilla@camillagreen.co.uk