This weekend marks the third race of the JPK Pacific two-handed pointscore and the first of the long-distance category 2 offshore races.

This weekend will take the five competing yachts from a start line in Sydney Harbour then up the New South Wales coastline to finish 63 nautical miles north at Newcastle.

Two-handed sailing has been growing in popularity throughout Australia and the world in recent years with JPK Pacific being at the forefront of yacht designs for this discipline of the sport.

“Shorthanded sailing interest is growing tremendously, and part of the excitement is that it challenges even the most experienced sailors and the two handed team’s ability to work together,” said Mattijs Willenborg of JPK Pacific.

“Taking shorthanded racing into the night and overnight races will put teams to the test as there is a range of dynamics that will challenge even the most experienced sailors.”

In the upcoming Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore races there will be a separate division for two-handed entrants which will add an extra element to the already challenging and exciting racing series.

The JPK Pacific two-handed pointscore is a great opportunity for entrants to prepare and gain experience of what two-handed sailing is like, before undertaking the longer of the Club’s offshore races.

Commodore Paul Billingham explained, “We believe two-handed sailing represents the future for some sailors and an exciting avenue we’re very keen to explore as a Club. We think the two-handed division is going to add a few more boats to the Rolex Sydney Hobart fleet for 2020 and beyond too!

“We look forward to this being a long and fruitful journey, with both JPK Pacific and the two-handed sailing movement ahead of its inclusion in our upcoming blue water program and the 2024 Paris Olympics.”

The series will culminate with the fourth and final race being a 108-nautical-mile journey starting 1400hrs Saturday 21 March 2020. Entries for this race are still open but close on Monday 16 March. Sailors looking to enter can enter online here or contact the sailing office.

More information about the series and the requirements of entry can be found in the Sailing Program.