The Island Sailing Club and J.P. Morgan Asset Management are pleased to see that so many competitors are making their race count for charity with dozens of different charities, as well as the preferred four, being supported by competitors.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management set up the Charity Challenge, basically a ‘race within a race’, to help promote the Ellen MacArthur Trust, Macmillan Cancer Support, Prostate UK and Breast Cancer Care and to encourage other competitors to race for charity.

SailTime has kindly donated each charity a boat to enable the charity to try and win this year’s coveted Charity Challenge.

The yachts have now all entered, with their skippers and one or two well-known names being announced as follows: SailTime Challenge Ellen MacArthur Trust will be helmed by Richard Pierpoint. Also on board will be relatives of young people who have previously sailed with the Trust, who are now actively raising money and promoting the work of the Trust by competing in the Charity Challenge. SailTime Challenge Breast Cancer Care is skippered by Pete Woodham-Kay and Sailtime Challenge Macmillan Cancer Support has Nick Gale skippering and the crew includes Iwan Thomas MBE, the finest 400m runner in Britain and now a TV sporting celebrity.

SailTime Challenge Prostate UK has announced its skipper as Dan Hardy and Dan will be joined on board by Mike Perham who is now an Ambassador for Prostate UK. Mike was the youngest sailor, at age 14, to undertake a solo Atlantic crossing, capped only by his massive achievement, aged 17, as the youngest person to sail single-handed around the world.

Niall Ferguson, a former rugby player and skiff sailor has gathered together a group of Midlands-based ex-rugby player mates for this year’s Round the Island Race. They are on RPMI, a Laser SB3 and are fund raising for the Matt Hampson Trust, a charity set up for those who are no longer able to enjoy their sport, their passion, and sometimes their life. Matt made it to the Under 21 England Squad but then suffered an horrific and paralyzing spinal cord injury that put paid to his future as a player.

Also using his race entry to help raise funds for the Ellen MacArthur Trust is Roger Bond with his Beneteau 285 Fraid S’Eau. She replaced ‘Fraid Knot’ (I wish I’d thought up these wonderful names) a few years ago as the crew got older and bigger! Roger says he’s a keen sailor and his day job is being ‘a not so keen’ nuclear scientist. He first sailed in Poole Park boating lake and now the Caribbean and Med are his cruising grounds. The crew members remain firm friends after 80 accumulated years of sailing and racing and even after a MoB incident in last year’s Race.

For more information about making your race count, log on to the Race for Charity section on the website at: www.roundtheisland.org.uk