St. Francis Yacht Club announces Inaugural Offshore Mixed Doubles Race

St. Francis Yacht Club announces Inaugural Offshore Mixed Doubles Race © St. Francis Yacht Club

The Notice of Race is posted and registration is open for St. Francis Yacht Club's inaugural Offshore Mixed Doubles Race, scheduled for July 29-30, 2023, and open to doublehanded crews of mixed gender.

"We are very pleased to announce the Offshore Mixed Doubles Race," said Dave MacEwen, offshore sailor and Vice Chair of St. Francis Yacht Club's Executive Race Committee. "Doublehanded racing is extremely popular on San Francisco Bay - look at the success of the Three Bridge Fiasco. Adding an offshore element will take this format to a new level locally."

The race committee intends to conduct a single distance race of approximately 24 hours in a sailing area stretching across San Francisco Bay and its approaches to the Gulf of the Farallones. Boats eligible to enter include:

• Monohulls with a minimum LOA = 23'9" and a current NC PHRF rating;
• Multihulls with a minimum LOA = 23'9"' and a current SFBAMA PHRF rating.
• An ORC Double Handed (DH) ORCi or ORC Club certificate is optional.

St. Francis Yacht Club has long been at the forefront of new developments in sailing. Many St. Francis Yacht Club members have competed in the most challenging offshore races and the club has served as the launching point for the Pacific Cup, a 2,070-mile run to Hawaii. This year, StFYC is one of the Organizing Authorities for two California Offshore Race Week events — the CA 500, starting from St. Francis Yacht Club on May 26, and the Spinnaker Cup, on May 27. The Offshore Mixed Doubles in July will further entice long-distance sailors to the shores of San Francisco Bay.

"As an ocean racer for 25 years and as a St. Francis Yacht Club member for longer, I'm excited to see this regatta on our shores, in a format developed for the Olympics and designed to reduce barriers to the offshore version of our sport," said Michael Moradzadeh, Principal Race Officer for the event.

Doublehanded offshore racing has been considered one of the fastest growing segments in the sport of sailing, with new events worldwide and new doublehanded classes in many ocean races. Races for mixed-gender crews are a growing part of the doublehanded movement and this format has been considered for addition to the Olympic Sailing program. Though not selected for the 2024 Paris Games, the global sailing community has expressed an interest in seeing mixed doubles offshore racing develop.

Boats that enter must meet a variety of safety-related requirements, carry extensive safety equipment and will be tracked electronically. Sailors must meet certain qualifications for sailing in coastal waters. The regatta will have a range of course options, with a final selection to be made on the day of the race based on conditions.

Event information and registration