A HOST of Hampshire yachtsmen were today set to be named in an exciting academy created to promote British excellence in solo sailing.

The Artemis Offshore Academy was launched in June as a training scheme to put talented UK sailors on par with the undisputed masters of solo sailing, the French.

The goal will be to see a British sailor win the Vendée Globe, one of the toughest solo races in the world, in 2016 or 2020.

Dozens applied to be part of the scheme, and 32 promising sailors were selected to take part in a series of trials held over the summer at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy.

The final nine to make the cut were to be announced this morning, with five Hampshire sailors in the line-up, the Daily Echo can reveal.

Nick Houchin, Oliver Bond, Nick Cherry, Sam Goodchild and Nigel King will be named in the development squad – and their talent and potential already speaks for itself.

Houchin, 26, from Southampton, has wins in the Commodore’s Cup and Fastnet race, is a double match racing national champion and most recently sailed round the world non-stop in just 76 days.

Fellow Southampton sailor Bond, 30, is a formidable force on the Mini 6.5 circuit, one of the toughest solo sailing series in the world.

Southampton University graduate Cherry, 25, is a match racing expert and former student national champion.

At 20 years old, Goodchild is the youngest sailor named in the squad. Despite his age, he has a wealth of experience including four transatlantic crossings.

Lymington’s King, 41, is the most experienced sailor named in the development squad with two Figaro campaigns and a Volvo Ocean Race campaign under his belt.

The other development squad members are two-time Olympic medallist Simon Hiscocks, 37, Mini Transat sailor Phil Sharp, 29, Oliver Young, 22, and Becky Scott, 24.

On being selected, Houchin said: “It’s great to be picked in the final squad. Flying the flag for Britain is a massive thing to be proud of.

“I think if you put your mind to anything, and you’re committed enough and dedicated enough, with a bit of luck and a bit of talent anything is achievable, so I could win the Vendée Globe.”

Goodchild added: “I’m pretty excited about being selected. It is a big step towards what I have been looking to do for a while now.”

The Artemis Offshore Academy will be based mostly around the Solent and Isle of Wight, also making use of the Olympic sailing venue at Weymouth as well as a winter base in France.