The iShares Cup Sailing Series makes its much-anticipated return to Skandia Cowes Week this year, with the exciting Extreme 40 catamarans again bringing their breed of crash-and-burn racing to the first three days of the regatta (August 2-4).

Following a hugely successful event at Cowes last year, this year's iShares Cup has an even bigger and better fleet. With nine entries so far, including a host of Olympic medallists, America's Cup winners and world champions among the crews, the UK leg of the 2008 iShares Cup will have its own start at Skandia Cowes Week, racing on short, sharp courses from a committee boat line in the central Solent.

Watch out for some of the high-performance catamarans taking part in Skandia Cowes Week racing during the rest of the week (August 5-9) as well.

Skandia Cowes Week marks the mid-point of the iShares Cup Sailing Series, following the first two events at Lugano in Switzerland and Hyères in France in June. The Extreme 40s then move on to Kiel in Germany in August, before the series finale in Amsterdam in September. Find out more at www.iSharescup.com