{"id":81,"date":"2025-06-12T14:47:34","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T14:47:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/?p=81"},"modified":"2025-06-12T14:47:34","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T14:47:34","slug":"the-secret-to-double-handed-offshore-racing-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/?p=81","title":{"rendered":"The secret to double-handed offshore racing success"},"content":{"rendered":"

The double-handed offshore scene sees amateur sailors take on the pros. Rupert Holmes chats to Christina and Justin Wolfe to find out the secrets of their success<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Three years ago a Sun Fast 3300<\/a> called Red Ruby<\/em>, whose American owners come from the Pacific North West, popped up in UK double-handed<\/a> races. It immediately notched up a string of impressive results in a very competitive fleet.<\/p>\n

Red Ruby<\/em> went from 2nd in the 2022 and 2023 UK Double-Handed Offshore Series; to 1st in class \u2013 and very nearly 1st overall \u2013 in the 2023 Rolex Middle Sea Race<\/a>; also winning the 2023 ORC Double-Handed World Championships in Barcelona, and the 2024 IRC Double-Handed European Championship.<\/p>\n

For her achievements, including being first female skipper in the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race, Christina (Chris) was awarded the 2023 US Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year. \u201cI don\u2019t sail for a living, but when I do sail, it\u2019s the most alive that I feel,\u201d she told a room full of sailing luminaries on accepting the award.<\/p>\n

So how did two non-pro sailors achieve such good results in an unfamiliar fleet \u2013 and a sailing area on the opposite side of the Atlantic? First of all, \u201cbased on our experience, I really recommend buying a good used boat versus a new boat,\u201d says Justin.<\/p>\n

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The couple competing in the RORC De Guingand Bowl in 2022. Photo: Paul Wyeth\/pwpictures\/RORC<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Red Ruby<\/em> was formerly Gentoo<\/em> and had been previously campaigned by James Harayda and Dee Caffari<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo much of the detail had already been figured out and it would have taken us much longer to get a new boat set up from a distance,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe that was the lucky, serendipitous piece,\u201d Chris adds. \u201cJames Harayda is amazing, and we got really lucky that we picked that boat, because he had it really well set up and he shared everything with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we showed up to sail it for the first time, he went out with us for two days just in the Solent; that was a really big deal for us,\u201d says Justin. \u201cJames had figured out so many little details. We know for sure that had we picked any other Sun Fast 3300, any other brand, or any other model, it would have taken us years to figure out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course not everyone can plan to buy a boat that\u2019s been raced by top IMOCA 60<\/a> skippers, but in any class there will be boats that have been very well set up by sailors achieving consistent results. Acquiring one of those, with things like polars and sail crossover charts already well developed, is often a much faster way to the head of the fleet than buying a new boat that has to be set up from scratch.<\/p>\n

Article continues below\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

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Double handed sailing skills: handling symmetric spinnakers<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/header>\n
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Double handed sailing skills are increasingly important to master as the recent boom in double handed racing, both inshore and\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n