Inaugural IRC Double Handed National Championships set for June 2014

by Cathy Crawley on 1 Nov 2013 At the Royal Southampton Yacht Club’s Double Handed Series annual prize giving, honorary member Mike Golding unveiled a major new initiative for short-handed sailing in the UK in 2014.

With the permission of the GBR IRC Owners’ Association, the Royal Southampton Yacht Club will host a new Spinlock IRC Double Handed National Championship.

The championship will be held in the Solent over one weekend in June 2014.

On Saturday 28th June:
• A laid marks race of around 60 to 90 minutes will be followed by
• A round the cans race with a passage flavor of around two to three hours
• Supper at RSYC’s Ocean Village Clubhouse

On Sunday 29th June:
• A race from the central Solent to the Nab Tower and back

Scoring: Three Races, equal points, all races count

TCCs: Limited Validity TCCs will be available for the event.

An RSYC Championship for Club rated boats will run alongside the IRC Championship.

Mike Golding also announced that these races will be part of the RSYC’s annual Main Double Handed Race Series which will expand to include three Sub-Series: The Inshore Series, a new Alongshore Series and the Offshore Series.

• All RSYC racing is open to all-comers
• An extra class will be provided for any group of six or more one-design boats.

Also present for this major announcement, Mike Urwin of the RORC Rating Office said
'It’s exciting to offer this great new opportunity and it was natural do this with The Royal Southampton who have more than thirty years’ experience of running the most pre-eminent Double Handed racing in the UK.'

Entries for the RSYC 2014 Double-Handed Race Series will open in the New Year. They can be made can be made online via the RSYC website or by contacting the Sailing Secretary, Royal Southampton Yacht Club 1 Channel Way, Ocean Village, Southampton. SO14 3QF - Phone 023 8022 3352 - racing@rsyc.org.uk