This year, Artemis Ocean Racing aims to promote British short-handed sailing talent by recruiting skippers for particular periods and events. This team concept is the core of the campaign strategy with a clear objective of developing top solo and double-handed racing expertise in the UK.

“In offshore sailing there is a clear evolutionary cycle starting from the Mini Transat class, tiny 21-foot ocean going boats sailed solo, into the intensity of Figaro racing, and passing through the stepping stone of the Class 40 on to the IMOCA 60 Class of yachts used in the Vendee Globe” commented Charles Darbyshire, Project Manager for Offshore Challenges who now oversee Artemis Ocean Racing.

“Ellen MacArthur kick-started her career in the Mini Transat and if you look at all the top French IMOCA sailors, this overall progression, in particular through the Figaro, is how they have attained a level of excellence.”

Three new British sailors, Nick Bubb, Sam Davies and Ollie Bond, have joined Jonny Malbon in the Artemis Ocean Racing Team for the next 6 months to the end of the current programme – skippers and boats that cover a spectrum of British talent and short-handed events.

Britain’s best finisher (fourth) in the Vendee Globe last year and top Brit in the IMOCA Ocean Racing World Championship rankings (also fourth), Samantha Davies, joins the team with a clear objective of using the TJV event as a way to learn from another top level sailor, and to gain knowledge about the new generation of more powerful boats – alongside her own personal goal of finding a new sponsor to compliment Roxy and build a new IMOCA 60 for the Vendee Globe 2012.

Sam will also be providing technical feedback to the Artemis team in the evolution of Artemis Ocean Racing II. For her time with Artemis Ocean Racing this year, she will pair up with the experienced French ocean racing sailor Sidney Gavignet, recently returned from the Volvo Ocean Race on PUMA, for the forthcoming Transat Jacques Vabre – the double-handed transatlantic race from Le Havre (France) to Puerto Limon (Costa Rica).

This 4,700-mile race across the Atlantic is the major race of the 2009 IMOCA season and nearly all the leading teams in the class will be on the start line on 9 November.

For more information, visit www.artemisoceanracing.com .