British Olympic Tornado sailor Will Howden has joined forces with Mike Golding for the first round of the 2009 iShares Cup.

Howden will be ‘bowman’ alongside Warsash-based skipper Golding, Bruno Dubois Fraser Brown.

Venice is the first city in the six-stop European tour, with racing starting this weekend.

Each race day involves up to eight regatta-style inshore races, held close to the shore and the viewing public.

With the 40 races averaging just 12 minutes each and involving high-speed manoeuvres, sail hoists and drops, the events are a punishing physical challenge for the whole team, especially the ‘bow’.

For Golding the iShares Cup is a major switch in his racing.

He is world renowned for his offshore single-handed racing.

Golding was the first person ever to race single-handed and non-stop around the world in both directions and is one of just two British sailors to ever have stood on the podium in the Vendee Globe.

Brown is one of the most experienced Extreme 40 sailors on the circuit having raced in the class from the outset.

In 2008 he raced with Cowes-based double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson, and the team won the first event in Lugano, Switzerland. Howden, unlike Golding, is no stranger to the Extreme 40 scene, having been on the circuit since 2005.

“It has been great to step onboard with Mike and team,” said Southampton-based Howden.

“I love these boats, they really are a thrill ride and we have a huge amount of diversity in our team. “We all bring something to the table through our previous experiences and we have the potential for some good results on the water.” Previwing the first event, Golding said: “It will be a bit of a baptism of fire for me.

“Our decision to join the iShares Cup came less than a month ago and since then we have assembled a great team.

“Like the iShares races themselves, it’s been a mad dash. But we will be there and raring to get started.”