GER,Lina Rixgens and Sverre Reinke

2025 Offshore Double Handed World Championships get underway in Cowes

The opening qualifier of the 2025 Offshore Double Handed World Championships got underway in Cowes, Isle of Wight with near-perfect conditions: a northeasterly 10–14 knots, clear skies and flat water.

The start was fiercely competitive. Nanami Iguchi/Yoshihiko Murase (JPN 1) were OCS but restarted cleanly.

First around the HYS mark was Lina Rixgens & Sverre Reinke (GER 1), chased hard by Aaron Hume-Merry & Anna Merchant (NZL 1) and Anna Drougge & Martin Angsell (SWE 1). Arianna Liconti & Francesco Farci (ITA 1) split west early but lost out on the move. On the spreader leg to Paul Heys, the pack reshuffled with NZL 1 passing GER 1, leaving SWE 1 in third.

Only the top five finishers from this qualifier will earn a direct place in the World Championship Final, making every move critical. The 140nm race is expected to come to a climax on Wednesday 24 September.

Live Race Tracking – Follow Every Move

All boats are fitted with YB Trackers so fans can follow the fleet in real time across the Solent and English Channel.

Watch for free at https://yb.tl/odhwc2025 or via the YB Races App, available on app stores.

Text and images courtesy of RORC.org. Read more here.