(Annapolis, MD)- The second annual Double-Handed Distance Race on October 3rd and 4th attracted thirty-seven teams from across the USA, more than doubling the number of teams from the inaugural year in Annapolis, MD.
Inspired by the new Mixed Two-Person Offshore Keelboat Olympic event announced a year and a half ago, Annapolis Yacht Club committed to offering events to support shorthanded sailing.
The 24-hour, 92.2nm course on Chesapeake Bay provided a varied test for the fleet. There were seventeen mixed-gender teams, the vast majority of them were the eleven-boat J/105 one-design class.
The RC set a course which took the fleet north of the Bay Bridge to a mark off the entrance to Baltimore Harbor and then south down the bay to a mark just north of the Power Plant.....early going was light and fickle with a strong ebb making just getting past the Bay Bridge a full tilt adventure in itself. The reward both for the sailors and this photographer was the spectacular sunset and sunrise punctuated by a just past full moon.
Randy Smyth and Christina Persson topped the J/105 class sailing WIPFLY/ BAT IV. Congratulations to them on a race well-sailed! Randy is a 2x silver medalist in the Tornado at the 1984 and 1992 games, was a sailor in the 1988 America's Cup, and was recently inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2017.
Christina is an accomplished Laser and F-18 sailor but found her true love in the Nacra 17 which led her to joining the US Sailing Team in 2018.
Randy is Christina’s seasoned Olympic coach, but the two discovered they love sailing together and gave the double-handed distance discipline a shot. They secured their win with an impressive lead.
Taking second in the J/105s was the duo of Fred Salvesen & Molly Wilmer on MIRAGE, third was Patrick Gavin-Byrnes & Cole Brauer on BETTER MOUSETRAP. Rounding out the top five were Christina & Justin Wolfe on FIREBRAND in 4th and Will Bomar & Bri Grenier on PEREGRINE in 5th position.
Sailing in the ORC Handicap classes were seven J/Teams. Not surprisingly, taking the silver in ORC 1 Class was Richard Born & Guillaume Seynhave on the very well-known offshore winner, the J/120 WINDBORN. Born has won class in the Annapolis to Newport Race as well as the Bermuda Race, a very experienced offshore race he is!
Similarly, taking silver in the fourteen-boat ORC 2 Class was Roger Lant & Mike Wellins' J/35 ABIENTOT, followed by Arthur & AJ Libby's J/105 DOGHOUSE securing the bronze.
Annapolis YC PRO Dick Neville is to be commended for tailoring the race course to the difficult, changing weather conditions as forecasted just before start. Good fun was had by all! Sailing photo credits- Will Keyworth. For more AYC Double-handed Distance Race sailing information
