Prince de Bretagne and Abu Dhabi claim honours

Light wind Artemis Challenge causes thedailysail's course record to remain intact

Some of the hottest professional names in sailing and the sport’s rising stars jostled for position alongside royalty, rugby and rock ‘n’ roll stars in the Artemis Challenge – the 50-mile race around the Isle of Wight today.

The Artemis Challenge, that first took place in 2007, has become a ‘stand-out’ event of Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week and adding a touch of glamour, as well as their sporting prowess, were Zara Phillips, Mike Tindall and Simon and Yasmin Le Bon.

Six ocean racers competed in today’s 2014 Artemis Challenge and the calibre of sailing talent on board was impressive – Volvo Ocean Race skippers Sam Davies, Team SCA; Charles Caudrelier, Dongfeng Race Team; two time Olympic silver medallist Ian Walker, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing; alongside ocean racing masters that included multiple round the world record holder Brian Thompson, Artemis Ocean Racing; Damian Foxall, skipper Musandam Oman Sail and Lionel Lemonchois, Prince de Bretagne. And alongside, eight Bénéteau Figaro IIs lined up carrying the next generation of offshore sailing talent racing including Sam Goodchild, Jack Bouttell, Sam Matson and French Figaro skipper Charlie Dalin – who in future years hope to emulate their sailing heroes.

The 14 Artemis Challenge competiting yachts set off in light airs anti-clockwise around the Isle of Wight. Starting from the Royal Yacht Squadron line, the fleet comprising three Volvo Ocean 65s, two trimarans, eight Figaros and one IMOCA 60 had just 4 knots of wind in the Solent, making it a long slog round to the Needles Fairway.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s Azzam took an early lead, VIP guests Simon and Yasmin Le Bon joining the crew. Once on the south side of the island, the trimarans came into their own in 10 knots of wind – flying round to St Catherine’s Point, eventual Challenge winner Lionel Lemonchois' Prince de Bretagne and second position Oman Sail – Musandam putting a gap between the two multihulls and monohulls Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Dongfeng Race Team, Artemis Ocean Racing II and Team SCA. Due to the light conditions, the race was cut short at Bembridge Ledge, seeing French team on Prince de Bretagne to claim the eighth Artemis Challenge win in a time of four hours, 16 minutes and 35 seconds (ie thedailysail's record for the course remains intact). Oman Sail – Musandam was the second boat over the finish line, while Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing bought home the glory in the monohull class.

In true Artemis spirit, few go home empty handed. Overall winners Prince de Bretagne won £3,000 for their charity Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer – the French equivalent of the RNLI. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing took £3,000 home for their monohull class win, splitting the money between Toe in the Water and UKSA – this year’s Cowes Week charities. The remaining £4,000 and plenty of magnum sized bottles of Pol Roger Champagne were split between the winning Team A’s remaining elected charities (Prince de Bretagne, Dongfeng Race Team, Team SCA and Figaros Redshift, Artemis 77, Artemis 37 and Pol Roger Team Plymouth) – Race for Water and the Magnus Olsson Memorial Foundation.

Zara Phillips said: “We had a great time out there today. It was an absolutely beautiful day to be out on the water and I really enjoyed the action at the start. It was a good race, it would have been great to have a bit more wind but I’m really pleased we got to go round the Island. The Artemis Challenge is an event I enjoy every time I do it. Today was no exception.”

Simon Le Bon said: “It was marvellous. It was a fabulous day, it’s a great boat and the crew were great. We had lots of fun. For me this is Cowes Day. Today I’ve sailed with one of the best sailors in the whole word."