A Wimbledon based activity holiday company boss will be racing across the Atlantic this summer in a bid to raise funds for Sail 4 Cancer.

James Hardiman, who runs the water sports holiday company Ocean Elements, will race in the ‘Azores and Back’ race (otherwise known as the AZAB). The race covers 2,500 of the Atlantic Ocean and starts on 5 June 2011.

Around 60 yachts are due to take part in this year’s AZAB, which is the UK’s biggest ocean yacht race of the year. The 2011 race is the 10th race to be held since it was first held in 1960, with races every four years. The majority of yachts usually take between 7 and 10 days to reach the Azores allowing a week to make repairs and restock for the return passage.

In carrying out this challenge James expects to raise in the region of £5,000 for Sail 4
Cancer. The AZAB is regarded as one of the most challenging yacht races for
competitors, not least those with only a small amount of offshore ocean sailing.
Although James has been sailing for 23 years, he only has very limited experience of ocean sailing.
 James Hardiman from Ocean Elements said: “It’s going to be a tough learning curve for me because although I’ve done a fair amount of offshore sailing in my life, I’ve never crossed an ocean, let alone raced across one! I’m looking forward to the challenge though and raising money for this important charity.”

Graham Precey, Chair of Trustees at Sail 4 Cancer said: “This is a major yacht race and we thank James for showing his support for our charity by taking on this amazing challenge. The funds he raises will be used to make a very real difference to UK families living with cancer.”

To support James’s AZAB challenge visit http://www.sail4cancer.org/JamesAzab2011 Based on information supplied by Kate Fisher.