The Artemis Challenge starts today as part of Cowes Week. Eight Open 60s will be competing in the race, each hoping to win a large cash prize for their chosen charity.

Steve White’s Open 60,Spirit of Weymouthhas picked the RNLI as its chosen charity, meaning that the Institution could benefit from a £10,000 donation if the yacht should finish first.

Each Open 60 skipper will be accompanied by a celebrity from the world of sport, politics and television. Skipper of Spirit of Weymouth, Steve White, will be accompanied by TV celebrity Johnny Ball, Sky Sports News presenter Simon Thomas and a crew of thirteen. Skipper Steve and his wife Kim have already helped to raise £1,000 for the RNLI by providing one of the Artemis Challenge crew places on Spirit of Weymouth as a raffle prize at Weymouth Lifeboat Week (21-27 July).

Steve White, who only discovered his passion for sailing ten years ago, is now busy preparing to set off on the solo Vendee Globe yacht race on 9 November 2008. He said, ‘Spirit of Weymouth is not the favourite boat to win the Artemis Challenge we’ll certainly be racing hard on the day!’

Keep up with the race on the Artemis Challenge website.