Technology
Doing the groundwork
There are many good reasons for the welcome explosion of two-handed racing but doing your homework before leaving the dock for the first time double-handed will bring precious dividends
The immense popularity and exploding interest in big boat doublehanded sailing is branching out from its competitive roots in northern Europe and now engulfs nearly every corner of the sailing world. Driven by more than just its recent adoption in the 2024 Olympics, sailing two-up is proving to be a sensible and organic solution for owners who want an alternative to the hassle and expense of full-crew racing. Those who have tried it are often surprised to discover how much fun it is. 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 is in an advisory role, helping their customers to adapt to what for many is a new paradigm in sailing. Before going any further, one must
recognise that there is almost as much to learn about doublehanded sailing as there is about sailing itself. OK, maybe not as much...but there is a lot to learn before you’re ready to go safely offshore doublehanded. Here’s a glimpse into some of the basic
considerations of doublehanded sailing, for the would-be doublehander. Erik van Vuuren, double handed champion in both UK and Netherlands, believes preparation is everything. ‘Prior to every race, have your step-by-step plan ready. The plan must contain at least: l The racecourse, the coordinates per leg, the distances per leg, including the true wind angles (TWA) l The expected choice of sails and expected manoeuvres l The predictable important moments, for example, the turn of the tide, and which area is more beneficial ‘While racing, don’t forget to check
the step-by-step plan you prepared. During the UK Double Handed Nationals, adjusting the plan helped us win races, and we were eventually crowned UK National Champions. The simple fact that the races started at different times than initially scheduled and with the new start times, the local circumstances like the tides changed. Many of our competitors did not adjust their plan accordingly,’ he explains.
Above:An L30 One
Design, which is one of the boats being considered for the mixed offshore
doublehanded Olympic
sailing event in 2024
Tips for beginner doublehanders: l Race the boat you have. Try a few races with the boat’s current configuration and see what works and what doesn’t before making major changes l Start with local day races to see if you like doublehanding l Avoid sail handling problems - probably the most important point! Mistakes made with a full crew can be messy, embarrassing and usually cost you a few boat lengths. Sail handling mistakes when double- handed can cost you tens of minutes to recover from. Therefore, you need to sail more conservatively l Remember it takes more time to do manoeuvres when double- handed. Last minute spinnaker drops should be avoided. Taking the chute down early and giving up a few boat lengths is much less painful than the time it takes for two people to pull a spinnaker out of the water. When first changing sails, get one
down and secured before you set the other one. This increases safety on deck while helping to prevent
SEAHORSE 79 w
KASSIAN JURGENS/
SEGEL-FOTOS.COM
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