GBR teams selected for Offshore Double Handed World Championship 2024
by British Keelboat Sailing 14 Aug 2024 04:37 AEST
24 September - 1 October 2024
Maggie Adamson and Calanach Finlayson © PKC Media
Two teams have been selected to represent Great Britain at World Sailing's Offshore Double Handed World Championship 2024. Maggie Adamson & Calanach Finlayson, and Peter Bacon & Louise Clayton, will be competing in Lorient, France, from 24 September to 1 October.
It is anticipated that 22 teams from 16 countries and four continents will be on the start line and the RYA was one of just six national authorities to receive an invitation from World Sailing for two teams rather than one to take part in the event.
RYA Keelboat Development Manager Richard Moxey said: "Congratulations to both of our GBR teams on selection for this exciting addition to World Sailing's calendar of annual events. Great Britain has a good track record of double handed offshore racing and to have two teams invited to compete is really excellent."
The Offshore Double Handed World Championship is organised by Lorient Grand Large in association with FFVoile, the Yacht Club De France and the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) with a charter fleet of Sun Fast 30 One Designs supplied by the Cap-Regatta.
The RYA Director of Racing Nick Scott commented: "It is great to be able to field strong teams to this inaugural event that will shine a light on double handed offshore racing. Our two representatives will do GBR proud at this event, which marks a renewed commitment to showcasing GBR offshore racing."
Maggie Adamson & Calanach Finlayson
Maggie and Calanach come from different far-flung corners of Scotland. For Maggie the sea is in her blood, growing up on the Shetland Islands where she learned to sail dinghies and raced internationally in the Laser and Fireball classes. She is now full-time skipper of an S&S Swan 76 and volunteer member of the Lerwick RNLI. Apart from sailing, she is also a talented fiddle player.
Calanach grew up in the foothills of the remote Grampian Mountains and for a long-time sailing was not more than a pipe-dream. Aged 14 he sailed for the first time in a Mirror dinghy which set the ball rolling to pursue dinghy and keelboat racing and eventually offshore. In 2017 he completed his first Fastnet and won the RORC Championship with a primarily youth team.
Calanach and Maggie began short-handed sailing around the same time, racing against each other in the rapidly growing UK Double Handed fleet. They built double handed experience over the following years including the Rolex Fastnet Race and Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland.
In 2022 they teamed up for IL Veloce Figaro race around Italy, finishing first mixed pair, and the following year achieved third at the Mixed Double Handed Worlds in Taranto. Maggie recently completed the RORC Transatlantic Race while Calanach just finished third at the IRC Double Handed Euros.
Calanach said: "The Worlds is going to be a fantastic event. Lorient is an incredible hub of offshore racing and with 22 teams entered there will be a great atmosphere and some tough competition. It's pretty special to be able to represent GBR on the world stage and we are excited to be a part of this inaugural event in the new Sun Fast 30OD."
The young pair (32 and 29) don't own a boat, but with some help from the friendly double handed community have had the opportunity to test-sail a Sun Fast 30OD. Maggie and Calanach are looking for sponsors to support their training plan and on-going team ambitions.
Peter Bacon & Louise Clayton
RORC member and Corinthian sailor Peter Bacon works in finance and has been racing offshore for 10 years, in which time he has completed Trans-Atlantic, Fastnet, Newport-Bermuda, Caribbean 600 and multiple other RORC races.
Encouraged by Covid-related restrictions, Peter took up double handed racing in 2020.
Louise Clayton grew up on the Norfolk Broads with her Dad and Uncle supporting independence from an early age, while RYA Start Sailing and racing courses led to competing in six world championships in the Splash class.
After university, a move to the Midlands led to seven years of racing in the RS400 at Notts County SC. This inclusive club encouraged opportunities further afield and with some Solent weekend trips, the yacht racing bug set in.
A career break led to Louise completing three Caribbean racing seasons, four Fastnet campaigns and a trans-Atlantic crossing. In 2021 she started double handed racing on Stuart Greenfield's S&S34 Morning After. They won the St Malo double handed fleet and completed the Round Britain and Ireland race with Mike Greville and Freddie Neville-Jones.
Louise, who has a dual career as a sailor and NHS physiotherapist, teamed up and started training with Peter Bacon in December 2023 aboard his Sun Fast 3300 Sea Bear, after they were introduced via the UK double handed network.
Commenting on their Worlds selection, Louise said: "We will be up against tough competition and many are full-time sailors that we have a huge amount of respect for. Personally, I am grateful to the community I am surrounded by that has accelerated my chance to be here.
"The opportunity to be on the start line, soak up the legendary La Base atmosphere and have the chance to represent GBR is a real privilege that we are really excited for."
Racetrack
The course area for the 2024 Offshore Double Handed World Championship will be north of Lorient, along the rugged Atlantic coast, as far west as the Isles of Scilly, and to the east, the western approaches of The Channel. In September, westerly winds and strong ocean currents are expected to produce complex and thrilling conditions.
Eight teams applied for a place at the Worlds via the GBR selection committee, which comprised representatives from the RYA, RORC and UK Double Handed Offshore Series, who were tasked with identifying medal winning potential.
It is anticipated that the 2024 event will be the first of three editions, moving to Cowes on the Isle of Wight in 2025, and then to a third venue to be confirmed in 2026. World Sailing's ambition is to grow the sport of offshore racing.
Read more at 2024 Offshore Double Handed World Championship.
Potential sponsors interested in supporting GBR's ambitions in keelboat racing and being part of our performance journey are encouraged to email: