Youth Pathways in France to the Offshore Double Handed World Championships

Written by Kate Cope

In September 2025 the second edition of the Double Handed Offshore Worlds Championships took place in Cowes, UK. Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club and Cap Regatta, it attracted 21 teams from 14 countries (AUS, CAN, FRA, GBR, GER, ITA, JPN, NED, NOR, NZL, SWE, TUR, URG, USA). The racing was in a fleet of matched Sunfast 30OD boats.

Kate Cope Director of the UK DHOS talked to Ludovic Gérard about his initiative in Marseille to create a pathway for youngsters in shorthanded sailing to represent Team FRA at the World Championship. In 2021 Ludovic and his co-skipper Nicolas Brossay founded the Massilia Sailing Academy (MSA) with the support of the clubs of the city’s Vieux-Port. The association organises on-the-water offshore training sessions and trains up crews of youngsters in offshore racing and campaign management. MSA also promotes ocean preservation under the “Pure Ocean” branding with team members and the wider public.

Ludovic and Nicolas have an impressive track record win their JPK1080 Solenn for Pure Ocean. In 2022 they won the first edition of the Cap Martinique transatlantic race, then Ludovic singlehandedly secured line honours in 2024 and was third on IRC Handicap.

Ludo came to a point in his life as an amateur sportsman where he realised what’s great about sailing is sharing experiences. Professionally he manages two companies in the maritime sector and was keen to support the transmission of knowledge. 

Launched in Marseille, the MSA already boasts 50 members and unites two groups of racers, one group comprises IRC boats (9-11 m), who are preparing for solo and double handed offshore races or transatlantic passages, this includes a group of Mini 6.50 sailors. The winter training weekends featured eleven IRC boats, with coaches like Bernard Mallaret and Dimitri Deruelle, and the same number of Minis training with coaches Mathieu Claveau and François Jambou.  The academy attracts boats from Hyères to the east and the Baie d’Aigues Mortes further to the west. Massilia Sailing Academy organises the ‘24 heures Pure Ocean’, with the next edition playing out in October 2025

The second group is a young team based in in the Sunfast 30OD.  “When the Sun Fast 30 One Design project was launched by the Yacht Club de France, I thought it was a fantastic idea that very much tied in with my own values,” explains Ludovic Gérard. “I’ve invested in the future and, given that my company Alwena Shipping is performing well, I’ve chosen to commit to a sponsorship programme geared towards young people” They called for applications on social networks and through Marseille’s schools and universities and subsequently selected Clara Bayol and Charles Hénon. Clara (23) is an engineer, chemistry and biotechnology graduate, and double world champion match racer. Charles (22) has a degree in marketing management and is a familiar face on the Hobie Cat 16, J70 and match racing podiums. Clara says “I’ve learnt a huge amount in lots of different domains since the start of the year. In addition to the on-the-water training sessions, we also have access to the theoretical aspect of training, which ranges from weather to the use of navigation software, to how to make composite or resin, so you can repair just about anything at sea.”

The programme for their boat ‘Alwena for Pure Ocean’ included offshore racing on the Mediterranean coast then travelling up the Atlantic coast for the SNT La Trinite- Cowes race and finally RORC Fastnet. In September they represented Team France as one of 2 teams sent to the Offshore Double Handed World Championship. They were joined by Théa Khelif and Thomas Andre who were in a strong position having just won the French C30 Nationals in the same Sunfast 30OD boat.

There was plenty of strong competition included Team GBR Maggie Adamson and Calanach Finlayson (Team Solan Ocean Racing) were back to defined their 2024 world championship title. Also representing Team GBR were Zeb Fellows and Willow Bland. At only 18 years old, Zeb has some very impressive results on his CV racing with his father Dan in their Sunfast 3300 Orbit including an Overall win in the RORC Cervantes race earlier this year. Willow was part of the winning crew on Maiden in the Ocean Globe Race. 

After 4 Races Team FRA (Thea Khelif &Thomas Andre) triumphed with Team GBR (Zeb Fellows & Willow Bland) second just 9 seconds ahead of Team URU (Federico Waksman & Domi Knuppel) in third. 

The Double Handed Offshore worlds is attracting and promoting some great young talent. It is hoped that its geographical representation including emerging sailing nations will help its aspirations to become an Olympic sport.