The eight skippers and mates who will take command of the eight identical 72-foot Global Challenge Race yachts in the inaugural Round Britain Challenge were announced this week. After months of anticipation the lucky 16 professional men and women include five Southampton sailors who will set sail on April 19 from Ocean Village.
Skippers Ian Buchele, Clive Cosby, Pete Scoggins, James Allen and Jim Allen are all Southampton lads.
The non-stop circumnavigation of Britain and Ireland is the first event of its kind ever to be run.
On board each yacht will be 16 crew, made up of people from all walks of life and nationality, with varying levels of experience, from a complete beginner to a national dinghy sailing champion who has been sailing for most of his life. The crew volunteers will learn who their skippers and mates are next month.
There are just ten weeks for each team to formulate their strategies and prepare their amateur crew before the race sets sail.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article