Challenge Business has announced that the Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts, will be the official yacht club of the Challenge Transat 2006 which starts from Southampton on 5 August.

This 3,000-mile, pay-to-sail race across the Atlantic from Southampton to Marblehead and back starts on 5 August and will be sailed in the Challenge Business fleet of identical 72ft yachts.

Marblehead will welcome the yachts into the port between Friday 1 September and Sunday 3 September. The yachts will be moored at the town landing for two weeks while the crews re-provision the yachts and prepare them for the second leg.

Sir Chay Blyth, executive chairman of Challenge Business, commented: “The Corinthian Yacht Club have always shown our crews the warmest of welcomes and provided such first class facilities. We are extremely honoured that they will be the host Yacht Club for this exciting event.”

The amateur crews on this race will be made up of men and women from all walks of life from a student to a doctor, a research chemist to an insurance broker from all around the world. Nearly 60 percent of the crew have never sailed yachts before starting their training and are now preparing to conquer the notorious racecourse of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Berths are still available for the Marblehead – Southampton leg at a cost of £4,750 per person. For details log onto http://www.up4transat.com.