Dartmouth sailor Henry Bomby has just secured his place in the 2012 Solitaire du Figaro race.

This tough, solo-handed race is notoriously competitive and attracts some of the most talented solo sailors from France and across Europe.

At 21, Henry will be the youngest in the race and will be joining fellow British sailors Sam Goodchild and Nick Cherry on the start-line.

All three of the British contestants are members of the Artemis Offshore Academy, set up to promote and further the careers of young sailors in the UK.

Henry said: 'The Artemis Offshore Academy has given me the opportunity of a lifetime to compete in my first Solitaire du Figaro with a well-funded campaign, a huge support team, and everything you could wish for.

'I am massively excited to be a part of the Artemis team and the British contingent as we cross the channel to Paimpol in a few weeks for the start of the race.

'While of course the racing will be intense, tough and probably the most challenging I have ever done, it is also going to be a great amount of fun, and I hope I can truly savour every moment.'

The race will see Henry competing against 35 other sailors on identical boats as they cover 1,400 miles.

The distance is split into three legs. This year the sailors will race from Brittany, down to Spain, back to the Vendee region before ending in Cherbourg on July 12.

Everything on the boats is tightly controlled, from the size of the sails to the weight of food, water and clothing they have onboard. The winner is based on the elapsed time over the whole race.

The next month will certainly be a busy time for Henry, he's taking part in the J80 Worlds in Dartmouth that begin on Tuesday before he travels to France on Friday night.

The 43rd edition of the Solitaire du Figaro starts on June 24.