This coming Sunday, 13th July, at 8.15am Channel 4 will broadcast a 25-minute documentary on The Artemis Transat.

The 2008 edition of the oldest solo ocean race in the world, The Artemis Transat, saw thirteen skippers race at relentless pace across the North Atlantic from Plymouth to Boston, a 2,800 mile course renowned for wild depressions, ice bergs and freezing fog. Three world-class skippers failed to make the finish and one was forced to abandon his multi-million pound yacht mid-Atlantic in his quest to reach the USA first.

The programme covering the IMOCA Open 60 class includes onboard footage filmed by the skippers and reveals the challenges overcome by Britain’s Dee Caffari racing her brand new boat Aviva for the first time. Seb Josse on BT shares a secret with the camera whilst leading and one of the skippers filmed a mid ocean rescue. Despite the challenges this was the fastest edition of the race in its forty-eight year history and from day one the monohull record set by Britain’s Mike Golding on Ecover in 2004 was under threat. When the first boat finished in Boston, USA a new record time was set, around four weeks shorter than the original time taken by Sir Francis Chichester in 1960.

The programme is filmed, produced and directed by sports TV specialists Sunset|APP.

The programme will be screened on Sunday, 13th July at 8.15a.m. There will be a repeat showing of the documentary at 1.05a.m. on 16th July.