Lendy Cowes Week organisers have announced that this year's event will see the introduction of Double-handed sailing. Cowes Week takes place 4 - 11 August

Cowes Week Ltd, the organisers of Lendy Cowes Week, have announced the introduction of a new Double-handed class at this year’s event.

Following the recent popularity of both inshore and offshore Double-handed racing, Cowes Week organisers have decided to introduce this class to the world’s renowned regatta.
Entries are invited for boats with IRC ratings between 0.900 to 1.085.

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Racing will be held as part of the Black Group and courses will be about 3.5 hours long with an interesting range of wind angles, but with fewer legs than for the standard IRC classes.
The class will have its own start every day and, if in the future there is an increasingly high demand in participating in Double-handed racing, the organisers will look into the possibility of offering two class starts, thus allowing a wider range of craft to compete, including smaller boats.

Lendy Cowes Week Regatta Director Laurence Mead said: “We are very happy to open up this new class to Lendy Cowes Week as it reflects a growing part of the sport and at CWL we want to offer the racing that sailors want.  For some classes that is a bit more of a bias to windward/leeward courses and for others a more ’round the cans’ structure.  Welcoming the Double-handed boats is a natural evolution of the week and we look forward to seeing them on the water and at the social events which form such an important part of the Lendy Cowes Week experience.”

Entries can be made online through the Lendy Cowes Week website.