The Notice of Race for the 2026 Offshore Double Handed World Championship is out, and Yachting New Zealand is now accepting expressions of interest from Kiwi sailors hoping to compete.
The championship runs from 23 September to 2 October in Marseille, France, hosted by the Cercle Nautique & Touristique du Lacydon, the Royal Ocean Racing Club, Cap Regatta, and the Yacht Club de France. It is the first time the championship has ventured into Mediterranean waters, following the 2025 edition held in Cowes.
Up to 22 mixed teams will race across an equalised fleet of identical Sun Fast 30 One Design yachts supplied by the host organisation. Placing every crew aboard the same boat eliminates any advantage that superior equipment might otherwise provide, leaving skill and tactical judgement as the only factors that count on the water.
The format is compact and demanding. Up to two qualification races feed into a repechage round, with the entire structure building toward a winner-takes-all final. There is very little room to absorb a poor result, concentrating the pressure at every stage of the regatta.
Each Member National Authority has been allocated up to two invitations. Sailors wanting to represent New Zealand should contact Yachting New Zealand as soon as possible to register their interest and get the selection process underway.
The race yacht for the championship is the Sun Fast 30 One Design, designed by VPLP and built by Jeanneau.
The boat emerged from a collaboration between the Union Nationale pour la Course au Large (UNCL), the Yacht Club de France, the Royal Ocean Racing Club (UK), and the Storm Trysail Club (US). The shared aim was to make offshore racing more accessible and more affordable without sacrificing the quality of competition.
VPLP Design drew a modern semi-scow hull, which Jeanneau manufactures at their Nantes facility under a strict one-design class rule that keeps every boat on an equal footing. The hull is roughly 800 kg lighter than the Sun Fast 3300 and features a chine that digs in progressively at heel, building stability in a controlled and predictable way.
The rig is a fractional sloop with a retractable bowsprit. Steering is handled via twin transom-hung rudders and a single tiller, a combination that produces a clean deck layout well suited to a two-person crew. Auxiliary propulsion is available in either diesel or electric form. The Sun Fast 30 OD is constructed using Arkema Elium thermoplastic resin, making it the world's first recyclable composite production sailboat.
{{TABLE_1}}
