By Allison Chenard
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND (October 1, 2020) On Saturday, October 3, 2020, 38 double handed offshore teams will convene in Annapolis for the second annual Annapolis Yacht Club Double Handed Distance Race. After a successful inaugural event in 2019 with 17 teams, AYC is excited to welcome more than two times the number of competitors in only their second year.
The event is the largest of its kind to take place in the United States thus far and has attracted a handful of teams gunning for a chance to represent Team USA at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the brand new discipline.
The Chesapeake Bay will see 38 total boats across a span of 24 boat models on the line this weekend [click here for the full entry list] organized into three divisions: ORC 1, ORC 2, and a One Design division for the J 105 class which boasts 13 registered boats. Regarding Olympic integration, the official class for the Paris 2024 Games is expected to be decided no later than the end of 2023.
This weekend, races will begin at 1200 on Saturday, October 3, and the Race Committee will release the designated course roughly two hours before the warning signal. Competitors will race for 24 hours and return to Annapolis Yacht Club for the finish on Sunday, October 4. Legs will be 10 nautical miles or more, giving teams plenty of time to think about and implement maneuvers.
Luther Carpenter (Cypress, Texas), Head Coach of the US Sailing Team (USST), and Leandro Spina (Miami, Fla.), Olympic Development Director, are excited by the addition of the new discipline. Carpenter noted in a letter to competitors that “the boats, the format, the racing, and even the formula for success, will have their unique twist in Olympic sailing, and [the USST] is dedicated to discovering those things together with [those involved].”
Spina made similar remarks to us this morning on the dock, sharing “this discipline is a really exciting time for the sport. Offshore sailing is a big part of our sport, and the fact that it’s double handed is actually really exciting. This is truly an equal platform for female and male sailors to compete because you need to be able to share every job on the boat.”
Spina is representing the USST on-site in Annapolis and connecting with competitors as they prepare for the race. There’s a range of abilities and pairings in attendance, including father and son teams, husbands and wives, and professional sailors. And from the cheery, can-do attitudes of the sailors around AYC grounds, it’s no surprise that Spina hopes that this annual regatta “become[s] a regular occurring event of the discipline.”
Event Coverage:
View the event preview from AYC to learn more about the competitors.
Schedule
October 3-4 – Annapolis Yacht Club Double Handed Distance Race
1200 Warning signal for ORC 1
1205 Warning signal for ORC 2
1210 Warning signal for J/105
Follow the US Sailing Team for updates at the following links:
Live Tracking Information
Live Tracking by YB Tracking will be active for the duration of the event, here. Tracking will begin on Saturday, October 3.
Results
Results will be available on the event website.
US Sailing Press Contact
Allison Chenard – US Sailing Team Communications Liaison, allisonchenard@ussailing.org, +1 (704) 657-2822