IT’S A challenge which has long attracted celebrities to Cowes for years.

Revellers are getting ready for the day sports stars, royals and celebrities come together to compete on the water.

The annual Artemis Challenge will be coming to Aberdeen Asset Management Cowes Week tomorrow.

The yacht race will see teams competing in a 50 mile sprint around the Isle of Wight onboard some of the fastest offshore yacht in the world.

The winner will get a £10,000 charity prize fund to a charity of their choice.

Last year saw Zara Phillips and her rugby player husband Mike Tindall compete against pop legend, Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon for the prize.

This year the competition is set to attract royal attention again as Zara returns with her husband.

They will be joined by rugby stars Serge Betsen, Sylvain Marconnet and Gavin Hastings.

Ben Saunders, a world-leading polar explorer and a record-breaking long-distance skier will also be joining the race onboard Musandam-Oman Sail.

The pair will be back on board the Artemis Ocean Racing yacht ahead of the Rugby World Cup this weekend.

Olympic equestrienne Zara, pictured below, said: “Mike and I have enjoyed racing in the Artemis Challenge a number of times and it’s always a lot of fun.

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“With the tension building ahead of the Rugby World Cup and England’s game against France, 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.”

The challenge is sponsored by Artemis Investment Management and has attracted famous faces like Davina McCall, Bryan Adams, James and Oliver Phelps and the Weasley Twins from the Harry Potter movies in previous years.