UK Double Handed Offshore Series - Race 2

James Harayda on his Sunfast 3300 'Gentoo' celebrating winning 4 categories in the Myth of Malham Race as part of the UK Double Handed Offshore Series © Kate Cope

This is a new race series for doublehanded offshore boats. It includes professionals, amateurs, Olympic hopefuls, and nurtures young talent and well as providing a challenge for the seasoned doublehanded sailors. Saturday May 29th was our second race, the classic 230NM 'Myth of Malham' run by the RORC. The course mirrors the start of the Fastnet race starting at 1300 on the RYS line Cowes with just one mark - Eddystone lighthouse, Plymouth - then returning to North Head.

Just like the first race in our series, conditions were forecast for periods of very light winds. It was a spinnaker start down the Solent with the fleet all seeking any stronger breezes they could find. At Hurst Narrows the wind changed completely, and it was a beat out of the Needles channel.

For the next leg the boats made different choices, some left the rhumb line on the longer route south west for the forecasted stronger breeze, whereas some boats stayed North for the shorter route and better chance to make it round Portland Bill with the favourable tide but with the risk of running out of wind. In the end both routes worked, and the fleet reconverged at Start Point the following morning.

By now the wind was increasing to 20kts plus and some boats were caught still flying larger spinnakers making for some challenging sailing and sail changes. After rounding Eddystone lighthouse in was a tough beat into confused seas making it a very wet and bouncy ride for most boats - a bit of a shocker after 20 hours or so of mostly downwind sailing. Again, the fleet split with more wind forecast to the south, but a 30' more favourable wind direction up on the rhumb line soon tempted most of the fleet back to the North.

The wind abated overnight into Monday and most boats experienced complete shutdowns in wind somewhere on their return leg. Line honours went to Bellino (Rob Craigie / Deb Fish) finishing just before 8:30am Monday morning with the other lead boats just minutes behind. The fleet were finishing throughout the day in variable winds and the endurance award must go to Bounce Back (James Dean / Stevie Goddard) who toughed it out until past midnight.

Special credit to Kate Ledgard and Matt Bird who as part of the Young Tigris initiative to open up opportunities to young sailors completed their first doublehanded offshore race.

www.doublehandedoffshore.com

Myth of Malham Race Results

SEA VENTURES RACE YACHTS OVERALL: Huge congratulations to Gentoo (James Harayda/ Dee Caffari) for winning the race overall just ahead of Aries (Kelvin Rawlings/ Stuart Childerley) in second place and Swell (Henry Bomby/ Shirley Robertson) in third. The same three boats also won the Best Jeanneau titles

RYA MIXED (Male and Female co-skippers): The winner again was Gentoo with Swell second and Bellino (Rob Craigie/ Deb Fish) third

NORTH SAILS MASTERS (Combined age 90+ years): The winner was Aries with Bellino in second and Jago (Mike Yates and Eivind Bøymo-Malm) third

B&G YOUTH (Co-skipper under 25yrs): Again won by Gentoo ahead of Purple Mist (Kate Cope/ Matt Beecher) in second and third was New Normal (Tom Fenemore & Jack Hanslope)

MUSTO CORINTHIAN: It was Bellino in first place with Just So (William McGough & Christian Jeffery) second and Tigris 3600 (Gavin Howe / Maggie Adamson) third

UK Double Handed Offshore Series - overall results after 2 (of 6) races