Doubling interest in two-up test

The second annual Double Handed Distance Race on October 3-4 attracted 37 teams from across the USA, more than doubling the number of teams from the inaugural year in Annapolis, MD.

Inspired by the new Mixed Two Person Offshore Keelboat Olympic event announced a year and a half ago, Annapolis Yacht Club committed to offering events to support shorthanded sailing.

The 24-hour, 92.2-mile course provided a varied test for the fleet which has the majority of boats in the 28 to 45-foot range, divided into the J/105 OD Mixed Doubles class and ORC 1 and ORC 2. In all, there were 17 mixed-gender teams – the 11 J105s, 3 in ORC 1, and 3 in ORC 2.

With light winds highlighted by lots of changes in breeze direction and velocity, the challenging conditions were multiplied by Chesapeake currents and the topography of rivers along the Bay.

Randy Smyth and Christina Persson topped the J/105 class, Frank McGowan and Austin Powers won ORC 1 on the X Yachts X4.3 Querencia, while overall and ORC 2 honors went to Cate Muller-Terhune and Allan Terhune on Das Boot, an Italia 9.98.

Event details – Results – Facebook