At a reception, held at Southampton’s Rose Bowl cricket ground last weekend, the volunteer crews for Chay Blyth‘s inaugural Round Britain Challenge race have been announced.

The crews are set to start the race on Easter Saturday in The Challenge Business fleet of 72ft (22m) Rob Humphreys designed steel ocean racers. Each yacht has a professional skipper and first mate, as well as the 16 crew volunteers who have paid over £3000 for the trip.

As the crews have got to know one another at two five-day training sessions over winter, there was bated breath at the Rose Bowl as the teams were announced. “We feel like bottles of champagne, ready to pop we’re so desperate to find out who we’re sailing with,” commented Crew Volunteer Stephen Hall just before the announcement.

The race celebrates the 25th anniversary of Sir Chay Blyth’s win of the two-handed Round Britain and Ireland Race, which Blyth won in 1978 with Rob James in Great Britain IV.

The seven identical yachts will depart from and return to the Solent taking approximately two weeks at sea. The route will circuit Britain and Ireland clockwise and non-stop.

Yachting Monthly publisher, Jessica Daw, has opted to give up her desk for a damp berth aboard one of the competing yachts. Jessica will endeavour to send reports and pictures on her progress as the fleet battles around Britain. More on this soon?