Two local round the world yachtswomen will be entering the 'Ladies Who Launch Challenge' over the Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend - all in aid of the Southampton-based charity Leukaemia Busters.

Jan Cox and Andrea Bacon, now Mrs Mike Golding, will be taking part in an all-female sponsored sail to Cherbourg. The event was the brainchild of Laurie Bates, wife of the Royal Southampton Yacht Club's Commodore. Over the past two months she has organised a fleet of women sailors in a variety of vessels.

For Jan and Andrea a cross-Channel passage is a relatively short trip as both women have already completed a circumnavigation of the world. In 1994, Jan took a route through the Panama Canal and on to the Galapagos Islands in "Spirit", a 44 foot steel yacht built and skippered by her husband Neil. Andrea headed for Cape Horn as part of the 1996/97 BT Global Challenge aboard "Group 4"- when she first met Mike, then skipper of the boat.

Away from sailing, although still strongly connected with the sea, Jan is the Marine Sales Manager for freight forwarding company Peters & May. Andrea transfers knowledge of leadership behaviour gained through Challenge Business events to the workplace as Research Director of Inspiring Performance. Her latest publication is aptly entitled "Inspiring Leadership - staying afloat in turbulent times."

The 'Ladies Who Launch Challenge' leaves Lymington at 4.30am on Saturday 1st June. David and Bee Flavell, co-founders of Leukaemia Busters will be waiting in Cherbourg to give their floating fundraisers a big welcome.