Kingswear sailor, 22-year-old Henry Bomby, is kick starting the 2013 race season with the Artemis Offshore Academy by competing in the ICOM Cup Meditéranée alongside development squad sailors Jack Bouttel and Ed HIll in a week's time.

Graduate sailor Henry will take a break from training on his own boat at the exclusive Pole Finistere school in Brittany, to race Artemis 23 in the ICOM Cup, giving him some vitally important early season race practice.

The ICOM Cup is a three-stage single-handed offshore race that starts on March 7 from the Academy's winter training base, the Centre d'Entrainement Méditerranée (CEM), in La Grande Motte, France.

'I'm delighted to have been asked to race in the ICOM Cup for the Artemis Offshore Academy as it enables me to do an extra invaluable race before my 2013 campaign starts with the Solo Arrimer and Solo Concarneau before the 'big one', the Solitaire du Figaro,'- explained Henry.

'It will be my first race of the season and I'm itching to get out there.'

The first stage of the race is a 140nm offshore race to Marseille followed by a day of inshore racing with another longer offshore race back to finish in La Grande Motte.

'The full course will be announced the night before the start to allow for current weather conditions.

Henry, who previously went to Churston Ferrers Grammar School in Dartmouth, graduated from the Artemis Offshore Academy in 2012 and is now developing his own racing campaign: 'This year I am totally focused on my Figaro campaign and competing in the Solitaire du Figaro for the second time.

'I am still looking for sponsors to work with this year, but I have managed to raise enough money so far to pay the first installment of my charter fee.

'My race programme for the year includes three races leading up to the Solitaire du Figaro, as well as the Rolex Fastnet race afterwards in August.

'The Fastnet finishes close to home in Plymouth so I will be sailing back to Dartmouth afterwards.

'It will be the first time I've been home in a long time, which I am really looking forward to.'