#RoundIreland - Dragon's Den star Bobby Kerr and Wicklow farmer David Ryan will have to see some stiff competition in the Round Ireland Yacht Race in the form of former race winners, a Volvo Ocean Race navigator and a local lifeboat coxswain.
Teng Tools and Kilcullen Kapital have joined the Round Ireland with a state-of-the-art canting keel Open 60 racing machine. Their objective? To take line honours, challenge the record and raise funds for two charities.
The entry will be jointly skippered by the formidable pairing of Enda O’Coineen and Eamon Crosbie. Both have a long history with the race, ocean adventure, and challenges in general.
They will be joined by a strong crew including Alan Crosbie, VOR and Open 60 veteran Wouter Verbaak and Mark McGibney, coxswain of Dun Laoghaire RNLI's lifeboat.
The focus of the campaign is to raise awareness and funds for two worthy charities, Soul Of Haiti and Atlantic Youth Trust, under a special race committee chaired by Paddy Madigan.
The Soul of Haiti Foundation is an Irish registered charity established in 2007 by a group of entrepreneurs who were finalists in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Programme.
Upon visiting Haiti, these business people came together with the aim of applying their entrepreneurial skills and resources to create a positive impact on the lives of the people of Haiti.
The Atlantic Youth Trust is a youth development charity that will deliver a world-class educational programme on a purpose-built tall ship.
Young people from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will team up for exciting and challenging voyages to develop their teamwork, communication and leadership skills.
The challenge is formally being launched on Wednesday 25 June with a BBQ at the Royal Irish Yacht Club. Guests can enjoy live music, gourmet food and tours of the Open 60, which will arrive at 6.30pm to be paraded in by a bagpipe player!
Individual tickets are €45 or 10 for €400, with all proceeds going to the two charities. For more information visit VoodooKilcullen.com.