Ewan McGregor Signs Up for Yacht Race

Actor Ewan McGregor is hitting the high seas off the coast of Britain to compete in a sailing race for charity.

The Trainspotting star will hop onboard a yacht with British sailor Alex Thomson for the 50-mile (80-kilometre) high speed sprint around England's Isle of Wight.

The first place team will take home $16,000 (£10,000) for their chosen charity - and McGregor has vowed to donate the cash to the food crisis in East Africa if he wins.

He says, "I'm excited to experience the thrill of yacht racing from thevery deck of the boat and I'll be doing my best to help Alex win so thatwe can donate the prize money to Unicef's East Africa Appeal.

"There's never been a more important time to support the children of the region who so desperately need our help".

Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter, newlywed Zara Phillips, is also taking part in the annual Artemis Challenge on Wednesday (10Aug11).