Preview of the Marseille 2026 Offshore Double-Handed Worlds

The 2026 Offshore Double-Handed World Championship will take place in Marseille, France from 23 September to 2 October, featuring 19 elite international teams racing identical, eco-friendly Sun Fast 30 One Design boats. Defending champion Thomas Andrew of France returns with new partner Julia Colombe to face a fierce knockout-style tournament, marking the event's high-stakes debut in the Mediterranean.

A Mediterranean shift on shifting alliances

Thomas Andrew will defend his Offshore Double-Handed World Championship title on home water in Marseille this September, though not with the partner who helped him secure the crown. The Frenchman lines up alongside Julia Colombe as part of a confirmed fleet of 19 teams from 15 nations.

This edition marks the first time the championship has transitioned to the Mediterranean, shifting away from last year’s gruelling waters in Cowes, UK. The entry list highlights the expanding global footprint of double-handed racing, with Ireland entering the circuit for the first time and Belgium returning to the grid after sitting out an edition. The remaining fleet positions are filled by highly competitive entries from Canada, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Türkiye, Australia, and the United States.

The contenders eyeing the crown

Andrew faces a monumental challenge defending his title against a star-studded international roster. Fellow Frenchman Christopher Pratt, sailing with Mailys Radulic, brings an elite offshore CV forged in the Figaro circuit, the Transat Café-L'Or, and The Ocean Race.

Representing South America, Uruguay's Federico Waksman and Dominique Knüppel return to the fleet looking to improve on their third-place podium finish in Cowes. Waksman arrives with the pedigree of a 2023 Mini Transat victory, while Knüppel brings high-performance racing experience from the Tokyo Olympics in the Nacra 17 class.

The veteran presence is bolstered by Sweden’s Anna Drougge and Martin Angsell, now entering their third consecutive campaign together, with Drougge’s offshore roots extending back to the 2001–02 Ocean Race. Meanwhile, Belgium’s returning pair, Jonas Gerckens and Djemila Tassin, land in France fresh off a second-place finish in the Globe 40, all while simultaneously managing a Class40 build for the upcoming Route du Rhum.

Innovation on the starting line

Whatever drama unfolds on the water, no single crew will hold a technological advantage. Every team will compete on an absolute level playing field, utilising identical Sun Fast 30 One Design platforms drawn up by VPLP Design and built by Jeanneau in collaboration with Multiplast.

The true revolution of this fleet lies hidden within the laminate of the hulls. Jeanneau manufactures the Sun Fast 30 OD using Arkema's Elium resin, a groundbreaking thermoplastic that allows the hull to be fully recycled at the end of its operational life – a sustainable milestone currently unmatched by any other series-production sailboat in the industry. Developed over three years, the recyclable laminate delivers identical structural performance to conventional resins. Below deck and above, the configuration is optimised strictly for short-handed efficiency: twin rudders, a single tiller, and a retractable bowsprit ensure that a two-person crew can manage the platform through gruelling overnight offshore legs without external assistance.

A brutal knockout format

The racing format itself is designed to be unforgiving, rewarding consistency and rapid adaptability over a multi-stage tournament. The fleet will first be split across two intense qualification races that will immediately trim the field.

Those who fail to make the initial cut will get a temporary lifeline via a high-pressure repechage round, giving eliminated teams one final track into the main event. The championship culminates in a winner-takes-all final. To eliminate any lingering doubts about gear equity, boats will be completely redrawn at random before the final round, ensuring no team can claim an advantage from a specific hull or tuning setup.

Now in its third edition, this championship continues to cement its identity on the international sailing calendar. With debut nations, returning veterans, and a fleet built from material that represents the future of marine manufacturing, the upcoming week in Marseille offers plenty of reasons to keep watching.