Ten skippers have entered The Jester Challenge – a single-handed race across the Atlantic for boats of under 30ft LOA – which starts in Plymouth on 3 June 2006 and finishes in Newport.

Sending off the competitors will be two veteran solo ocean racers: Mike Richey who owned Blondie Hasler’s Jester and also her replica and Val Howells, the only surviving skipper of the original 1960 race.

They will be aboard Ewen Southby-Tailyour’s 12 ton gaff-cutter Black Velvet on the start line. To enter and for further information the challenge has a new website: www.jesterinfo.org

Ewen, Mike and the skippers are arranging a rendezvous at the London Boat Show which runs from 6-16 January.