The Artemis Transat Race - Plymouth to Boston

• 10am – Race teams head out of Sutton Harbour
• 12pm – Parade of sail
• 1pm – Air display
• 2pm – Race starts

The Race

The Artemis Transat at Sutton Harbour is a 2,800-mile single-handed race across the North Atlantic held every four years. It will start from Sutton Harbour, Plymouth, UK, on Sunday 11th May, 2008 and finish in Boston, USA.

The Artemis Transat Race at Sutton Harbour, Plymouth is owned and managed by OC Events, part of the OC Group, with the support of local partners The Sutton Harbour Group, South West of England Regional Development Agency, Plymouth City Council and Event South West.

Created in 1960 by Sir Francis Chichester and Blondie Hasler, it is the oldest solo race in history and The Artemis Transat is the 13 th edition.

Blondie Hasler uttered the legendary words 'One man, one boat, the ocean' to describe the race which first left Millbay Docks in Plymouth in 1960 with just four competitors, with a fifth joining later. Sir Francis Chichester won the race in 40 days, 12 hours and 30 minutes, becoming one of Britain 's most famous sea-faring adventurers.

By comparison, the last Transat in 2004 was won in just eight days, eight hours and 29 minutes by Frenchman Michael Desjoyeaux in a 60-foot multihull. Thirty-nine boats entered in four different classes.

The 2008 race will be a monohull only race for the first time since multihulls were introduced in 1964. There will be two classes of entry: one for 60-foot vessels (IMOCA Open 60) and one for 40 foot vessels (Class 40). It is expected that around 40 - 80 boats will take part.

The IMOCA 60 and Class 40 fleets offer a combination of the pre-eminent ocean racing fleet of the International Monohull Open Class Association (IMOCA), with the aspiring ocean racing professionals and accomplished amateurs among the Class 40 fleet.

OC Events is part of Mark Turner and Ellen MacArthur's OC Group based at Cowes on the Isle of Wight and specialises in managing offshore sailing events that meet the demands of competitors, sponsors and the media.

• Event South West, the regional event company created by round the world sailor Conrad Humphreys celebrates an amazing turn around of fortunes for The Artemis Transat as record numbers of people travel to the city to enjoy the event
• The combination of sport, environment, culture and entertainment proves an irresistible mix as the Plymouth Summer Festival is kicked off in remarkable style
• City leaders share their excitement and businesses in the Barbican celebrate record profits over the bank holiday weekend, as  The Artemis Transat gives a massive boost to the local economy

• Sam Davies, skipper of Roxy, the Open 60 and Conrad Humphreys , triple round the world sailor spend the day talking to children about the climate and the oceans during the Artemis Transat race start week.
• The BLUE Climate and Oceans Project partners with The Artemis Transat and Sutton Harbour to deliver a fun-packed learning programme designed to inspire young people to become champions for the environment.

There will be two classes of entry, one for 60-foot vessels (IMOCA Open 60) and one for 40 foot vessels (Class 40). Organisers are expecting at least 20 of each vessel to be taking part in this, the 13th edition of the race.

Nigel Godefroy, Managing Director of Sutton Harbour Group said: The announcement of the first entries is a very exciting milestone. With just four months to go, the preparations for the race start and the Race Village in Sutton Harbour are really gathering pace. We are working with our partners to ensure that the logistics of the race and the Race Village all fall into place so that everyone, competitors and visitors can experience the true splendour of this iconic event.

Richard Thomas from the South West RDA said: The first entries show an excellent response from the international sailing community and highlight the quality of the race. We now look forward to using the race to showcase Plymouth 's rich maritime history and put the spotlight on South West England as a marine centre of excellence.

Councillor Glenn Jordan, Plymouth City Council Cabinet Member for Healthy Communities and Leisure said: It is fantastic to see competitors from across the world signing up to take part. We could not have asked for a better event to launch the Plymouth Summer Festival 2008 than this world famous race. With its history so tightly linked to Plymouth, the race is part of our maritime heritage and our city should be very proud that it has again returned.

Conrad Humphreys, Managing Director of Event South West and a competitor of the 2004 race said : I' have no doubt that The Artemis Transat at Sutton Harbour, Plymouth will live up to its fierce reputation and challenge every competitor who makes it across the start line. It's great to see some new names taking part in the UK 's most legendary transatlantic race.

From Saturday, May 3 2008, the Barbican and Sutton Harbour will take on a buzzing festival atmosphere as it becomes home to a spectacular Race Village which will be open to the public, completely free of charge throughout the build up to the start of the race. The Race Village will provide a base for competitors and their teams during the lead up to the race, as well as creating a vibrant festival city within a city, offering a diverse programme of entertainment, food and drink specialities, art, craft and chandlery stalls and an exciting education programme.