Celebrities to compete in Venture 16 powerboat race

The Venture Cup powerboat race launches today with a star-studded ceremony in London.

The powerboat race, which is the longest in the world, will take place from June 11-19, 2016, off the Irish coast, and the full course is set to be revealed at today’s launch. Organisers have thus far confirmed the race will begin in Cork Harbour and end in Dublin.

Teams from around the world will compete in the challenging race, and celebrities attending the launch and participating in the race include adventurer Bear Grylls, powerboat world champion Peter Dredge and supermodel David Gandy, who has signed with Vector Martini Racing.

Dredge, technical director and lead driver also with Vector Martini, said: “Make no mistake. This is going to push teams and their boats to the absolute limit.

“This is no place for the faint-hearted, and only the bravest and best prepared will succeed. Even in the middle of summer we’ll be encountering 15-metre swells as we race along the some of the most dramatic and demanding coastlines in Europe.”

Teams are competing for two trophies, both with histories dating back to the early 20^th century. The Venture Cup, which can be traced back to America’s Vanderbilt family of industrialists, and the Harmsworth Trophy, the world’s first powerboating trophy.

Clipper Race fleet and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston to compete in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race 2015