Running alongside the RORC IRC Nationals on the Solent were the IRC Two-Handed Nationals.
With the increased popularity of this discipline due to it being social distancing-friendly and becoming an (proposed) Olympic event for Paris 2024, the fleet was packed with talent.
Going into the final day Dee Caffari and James Harayda on the Sun Fast 3300 Gentoo, were tied with Jeremy Waitt and double Olympic gold medallist Shirley Robertson on Richard Palmer’s JPK 10.10 Jangada.
However a final day 1, 3 was enough to secure Caffari and Harayda the title, as Robertson and Palmer’s 4, 4.5 caused them to drop off the podium, albeit just one point short of second.
Caffari and Harayda coming second in the Drheam Cup was enough to gain them the GBR berth in the recent EUROSAF Mixed Offshore European Championship, where their result was disappointing.
As Caffari explained: “We were selected, but had to pay to go: We went to Italy, sailed in an unknown venue on an unknown boat with no support. We had a good inshore race and then made some critical errors offshore and didn’t have the performance we wanted.”
“We were determined to come here and prove a point about why we were selected. We are delighted with our result.”
Behind Caffari and Harayda it was close with second to fifth places separated by just 1.5 points.
Ultimately it was Gareth Edmondson and former Artemis Offshore Academy graduate Hugh Brayshaw, who came home second on countback after winning Sunday’s second race by just 16 seconds.
Sailing a chartered Sun Fast 3600, this result was a complete surprise for Edmondson who praised his co-skipper, with whom he last sailed doublehanded offshore two years ago.
“Hugh is the genius and I just do as I’m told – an autohelm that speaks!”
However Brayshaw added their success was down to trust and relying on each other.
RORC 2020 IRC Two-Handed Nationals – Final (22 entries)
1st Gentoo – Sun Fast 3300 – James Harayda / Dee Caffari – – 1 8 1 3 – – 5 pts
2nd Jellyfish – Sun Fast 3600 – Gareth Edmondson / Hugh Brayshaw – – 11 1 7 1 – – 9 pts
3rd Jago – J/109 – Mike Yates – – 2 5 6 2 – – 9 pts
4th Jangada – Jpk 10.10 – Richard Palmer – – 3 3 4 4.5 – – 10 pts
5th Xanaboo – J/112e – Bruce Huber – – 4 10 2 4.5 – – 10.5 pts
6th Chilli Pepper – Sun Fast 3300 – Jim Driver – – 7 2 3 8 – – 12 pts
7th Jin Tonic – J/105 – Stephen Roberts – – 5 7 5 10 – – 17 pts
8th Bellino – Sun Fast 3600 – Rob Craigie – – 10 4 9 7 – – 20 pts
9th J’Ronimo – J 92 – David Greenhalgh – – 6 11 8 9 – – 23 pts
10th Diablo – Sun Fast 3600 – Nick Martin – – 8 6 18 11 – – 25 pts
