AN EPIC powerboat race around Great Britian will begin in Salcombe on midsummer day.

The postponement of this year's RB12 endurance race was not enough to stop a defiant team of powerboat racers from hatching plans to circumnavigate Great Britain – in a bid to raise thousands for children's hospices.

Refusing to let the RB12 disappointment sink their aspirations, a patriotic partnership between BananaShark Racing and E-Lites electronic cigarettes resolved to complete the 2,000-mile Round Britain circuit in an ambitious 11-day charity challenge of their own.

Setting off from Salcombe Harbour on June 21, the crew will race clockwise around Britain, visiting 10 coastal towns and cities to hand over money to local Rotary Club representatives for distribution to children's hospices.

The phoenix-style Round Britain Charity Challenge 2012 will visit Newlyn in Cornwall, Swansea, the Isle of Man, Troon, Inverness, Edinburgh, Grimsby, London's Chatham Historic Docks and Portsmouth, before returning to Salcombe on July 1.

A crew of three experienced drivers and navigators – including championship winners John Cooke, Graham Lawton and Jeremy Gibson – will guide the 38ft BananaShark Stirling powerboat around the route, covering distances of up to 230 nautical miles per day, which will mean several hour's spent battling often difficult conditions.

The £3,500 entry fee returned from RB12 will be redistributed between the 10 rotary clubs, but the crew hope to at least double that amount with additional fundraising activities.

Beneficiaries will include Little Bridge House in North Devon and Children's Hospice South West, among others.

The Round Britain Charity Challenge, supported by Rayma-rine navigation technology, will be covered online by a GPS tracking system that will chart the crew's progress in real time, while video specialist Veho is supplying cameras that will film the action for viewing via websites.

BananaShark director and co-driver John Cooke said: 'Following the postponement of the Round Britain race we were incredibly disappointed. But, thanks to the co-operation of E-Lites and our other sponsors, we will not only complete the challenge but also make a difference in the local communities.'