The immense popularity and exploding interest in big boat doublehanded sailing is branching out from its competitive roots in northern Europe to now engulfing nearly every corner of the sailing world. The trend appears to be a sensible solution for owners who want an alternative to the hassle and expense of full-crew racing. Those who have tried it have discovered how much fun it is and how challenging it is. With the recent pandemic, the move to doublehanding is stronger than ever.
UK Sailmakers has embraced this trend with gusto, developing a range of not only sail products to support the unique needs of short-handed sailors but also being in an advisory role to help sailors adapt to what, for many, is a new paradigm in sailing. This website section will feature instructional articles and videos with educational tips on Doublehanded sailing.
More on doublehanded racing
BACK TO HANKS
Doublehanded racing was growing in popularity for over a decade. With the interruption to big boat racing caused by the worldwide pandemic, doublehanded racing has taken off…
Code Zero to Spinnaker Peel
This spring, I started racing doublehanded to respect social distancing requirements. Since then, my long-time crewmember Gerard Girstl and I have been working on our…
Doublehanding Primer
View fullsize An L30 One-Design, which is one of the boats being considered for the mixed offshore doublehanded Olympic sailing event in 2024. The supplied class sails for…
My First Doublehanded Race
Of course, my first doublehanded race of 2020 had to be sailed in 18-26 knots – trial by fire. It was a 20-mile race where the course was a 10-mile dead run followed by a…
How to gybe singlehandedly
By Adam Loory, General Manager of UK Sailmakers International Thanks to Covid 19’s requirement to sail socially distanced, I discovered the fun of doublehanding and…
Planning ahead
Last summer I sailed a 100-mile doublehanded race. The course was to a mark 50 miles to the east and back. On the way out, thunderstorms were moving to the east with us. We…