Offshore Doubles Sailing Association launches

Offshore Doubles, a non-profit sailing association on the web at OffshoreDoubles.org and on social media has been launched.

Created by sailors, for sailors, Offshore Doubles’ mission is to strengthen the community of sailors, events and boat classes who are already making Double Handed offshore sailing the fastest growing segment of the sport.

Click here to join now for free.

Click here to view the launch video.

Offshore Doubles is a home for everyone interested in Double Handed offshore sailing, ranging in interest from amateur couples or teams on weekend races to serious campaigns in every country.

The Olympic Offshore Mixed Doubles Event is an exciting development for sailing, showcasing the thrill and hardship of day and night sailing offshore with 24/7 media coverage. This pinnacle event has the potential to connect the humanity of a small team working offshore with the daily life of the non-sailing public, as it long has in France and the UK. Offshore Doubles are dedicated to ensuring Offshore Mixed Doubles place in the Olympic Games while helping to grow local and regional fleets everywhere through sharing knowledge gained around the world.

The board of advisors already includes Loïck Peyron (FRA), Dee Caffari (GBR), Dina Kowalyshyn (USA), Knut Frostad (NOR), Corinne Migraine (FRA), Matt Allen (AUS), Stan Honey (USA), Gilles Chiorri (FRA) and Larry Rosenfeld (USA) and more advisors are signing on shortly.

Larry Rosenfeld, founding President of Offshore Doubles, was asked to start the organization by Stan Honey, Dina Kowalyshyn and Matt Allen, senior members of World Sailing’s Oceanic and Offshore and Equipment Committees.

”With 2,330 ORC Double Handed certificates issued in more than 25 countries and the inclusion of Double Handed trophies in most major events around the world, it was time to bring the community closer together to accelerate learning and growth and help sailors get into this exciting discipline,” said Rosenfeld, who is an entrepreneur, adventurer and offshore navigator on round-the-world maxi-cat Team Adventure and World Records setting French trimaran, Geronimo.

“Our goal is to sign up 2,000 members in two weeks to show the International Olympic Committee that this is a fast-growing segment of our sport and that it has broad support in many nations,” said Honey. “One of the benefits available early next year will be the SYRF Performance Index (by Sailing Yacht Research Foundation) that will allow sailors anywhere to compete with one another without having to travel. The score gives you a percentage of optimum that you sailed on any course, at any time, on any boat, in any weather.”

JOIN TODAY at www.offshoredoubles.org