A new yachting event, The Europa Yacht Challenge, which will race to eleven major ports in Europe, from July to September 2001, has been announced.

Ten identical 47ft yachts, each sailed by a qualified skipper and 11 amateur crew, will race around Europe. Crew members are now being recruited for the three month event. The cost is £12,750 including pre-race training

The race, which will be sailed under the burgee of The Royal Ocean Racing Club, will start from Kiel in Germany in July 2001, with a minimum three day stopover in each port.

Each of the 10 yachts will have commercial sponsors and Corporate Club members, offering companies business to business and promotional opportunities.

From Kiel the fleet will race around the the coast of Denmark to Schreveningen, in the Netherlands. After a three day stopover the fleet races on to Cowes, Isle of Wight. The fleet arrives in Cowes during the famous Cowes Week Regatta, where the crews will prepare to take part in The Fastnet Race, which starts on Saturday 11th August 2001.

The Fastnet Race takes the fleet from Cowes out to the Irish Sea, around the Fastnet Rock and back into Plymouth. After three days to recuperate from the Fastnet passage, the fleet will race on to the 12th century port of La Rochelle, folowed by stopovers in Lisbon, Palma, Barcelona, and Rome. The final port of call and the venue for a lavish prizegiving is Monte Carlo.