At the front of the pack? It’s anyone’s guess.
Romain Gibon, winner of IRC Two-Handed in 2023, is back to defend his title aboard his JPK 1010—now rebranded as Abracadabra 2. Only two other teams from the previous top 10 return: Tim Goodhew and Kelvin Matthews on their trusty Sun Fast 3200 R2 Cora, and Benoît Rousselin’s Delnic, another JPK 1010. With Rob Craigie and RORC Commodore Deb Fish's RORC season points-winning Sun Fast 3600 Bellino shifting to four-up, the top of the doublehanded table is wide open.
What’s new? A couple of fresh builds designed with doublehanded sailing in mind.
Get all areas access to Yacht Racing Life with a Full Membership free 30-day trial. There's no obligation and you can cancel at anytime.
Tanguy Bouroullec is bringing his brand-new Pogo RC, Aruba, to the Fastnet for the first time. Built for reaching and sending, the 33-footer is a souped-up version of the MN35 that cleaned up in last year’s IRC Double Handed Europeans. “We are very fast reaching with 15 to 20 knots of wind and downwind under spinnaker too,” says Bouroullec. “We have not raced the boat yet, so we can’t be certain—but I am really excited. It’s a race of legend.”
Another serious weapon entering the mix is the all-new JPK 1050 Léon, sailed by none other than Jean-Pierre Kelbert and Alexis Loison. Loison, a five-time winner of the IRC Two-Handed division and co-owner of one of the most famous overall Fastnet wins in history (2013’s doublehanded victory aboard Night & Day), knows the game better than most. “The JPK 1050 is fast when reaching and in downwind mode,” he says. “It’s lighter than the JPK 1030. Everyone’s target is still to win the two handed division—and IRC overall.”
And then there’s Richard Palmer, making his 12th run at the Fastnet aboard the always-competitive JPK 1010 Jangada, this time with daughter Sophie Palmer as co-skipper. “No two Fastnets are the same,” he says. “It throws everything at you, from gale-force Solent exits to drifting off the Scillies. It’s that variety, and the camaraderie at the finish, that keeps you coming back.”
Sophie’s motivation? It’s the unofficial family rivalry: “I often compare our performance with other father and daughter teams,” she says. “That’s my race within the race.”
Other family teams include Richard and Emma Breese, racing the J/105 Mojo. Emma, with a string of junior titles to her name, brings plenty of speed. And former Sun Fast standout Jim Driver, having passed the tiller to daughter Ellie, now returns to the race with veteran Nick Martin, of Diablo fame—a crew pairing with serious potential.
Between the returning champions, the rising stars, and the debut designs, the two-handed division promises classic Fastnet chaos—compressed finishes, tactical trade-offs, and just enough drama to keep the dock talk buzzing long after the race ends in Cherbourg.
