Double Handed & Race Skipper Training

Double Handed & Race Skipper Training

Race Skipper & Double Handed Training — advanced short-handed and DH training (from £375)

From Thu, 28 May 2026·09:00 startIn 16 days

Dates

28 May 2026 — 1 Jul 2026

Duration

1.3 days

Distance

20 nm

Route

Hamble → Mercury Yacht Harbour

About

Advanced two-day double-handed and short-handed race training — Step 3 progressive programme. Build into DH offshore racing.

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ADVANCED · Step 3 in Unity's Progressive Training programme.

A two-day advanced course focused on double-handed and short-handed racing — the discipline that takes you from being a good crew member to being a confident race skipper. Bring a teammate or be paired with another sailor on the day. We typically run two teams together so you share crew costs and get the benefit of a second boat to practice against.

Specialist coaches lead through short-handed and double-handed manoeuvres, building the confidence and knowledge you need to cover all areas of the boat safely with only two of you on board. Geared toward sailors progressing toward racing offshore double-handed events.

Pricing: from £375 (Tue/Wed or Thu/Fri midweek, £395 per the live page) · from £475 (Sat/Sun, £495 per the live page — limited availability). Note: the live website shows two slightly different price anchors — confirm current rate at booking.

Previous: Sunfast Foredeck & Pit Training (intermediate)

Ready to book?

From £395 · In 16 days · Thu 28 May

Itinerary

Day 1 DH brief + short-handed drills · overnight on board · Day 2 DH race scenarios + debrief.

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  1. Day 1 morning — brief & DH-rigged boat tour

    09:00

    Coach-led brief — what's different about double-handed sailing. Boat tour focused on the short-handed sail plan, auto-pilot integration, and pre-rigged systems.

  2. Day 1 — short-handed manoeuvres on the water

    Tacks, gybes, hoists, drops with two. Practising peels and changes with auto-pilot helping. Real time-pressure scenarios.

  3. Day 1 evening — overnight on board

    Berth at a Solent destination or back at Hamble. Brief evening session on watch systems, sleep management, and weather routing for short-handed crews. Dinner ashore.

  4. Day 2 morning — DH race-style scenarios

    Starts, mark roundings, finishes — all with two-handed crew choreography. Auto-pilot drills.

  5. Day 2 afternoon — coached double-handed race + debrief

    Coached double-handed race scenario, then a structured debrief on what to work on next and which DH events to look at. Return to Mercury Yacht Harbour.

Joining details

Day 1 by 08:30 — 09:00 start. Tue/Wed, Thu/Fri or Sat/Sun. Bring a teammate or get paired up.

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Meeting point

Mercury Yacht Harbour, Satchell Lane, Hamble-le-Rice, SO31 4HQ. We meet on the pontoon by your assigned berth — your skipper will share the berth number and a location pin in the crew WhatsApp group the week before.

Meeting point

- Mercury Yacht Harbour, Hamble (postcode shown above). Pontoon and berth shared in the crew WhatsApp the week before.

Arrival

- Arrive by the start time shown on this event page. - Subject to availability you can arrive the night before — arrange with the skipper in the WhatsApp.

Parking

- Free at Mercury, except Round the Island Race weekend.

Crew WhatsApp

- Set up by the Wednesday before. Confirms timings, weather, destination berth.

Before you arrive

- Emergency contact, medical info and waiver in your dashboard profile. - International races: upload passport details.

Ready to book?

From £395 · In 16 days · Thu 28 May

What to bring

Offshore-grade kit + light sleeping bag. We provide the DH-rigged boat, coach, mooring and safety kit.

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Essential

- Waterproof sailing jacket + salopettes - Sailing boots (deck shoes only OK for inshore day races) - Warm base layers (no cotton) + mid-layer fleece - Hat and sailing gloves - Sun hat, sunglasses with retainer, sun cream - Head torch with red-light mode (any night sailing or offshore) - Personal medication - Sea-sickness remedy (taken 30 mins before the start) - Water bottle and snacks for the day - Soft holdall or dry bag — no hard suitcases

Overnight

- 3-4 season sleeping bag (no bedding provided) - Toiletries, change of clothes, quick-dry towel

Offshore / double-handed

- Notebook for debrief - Passport for cross channel races

Provided

- Yacht, professional skipper/coach - Life jackets and safety kit - Charts, AIS, VHF (+ satcom offshore) - Galley kit, water, tea, coffee - Mooring fees and insurance

Not provided

- Food and snacks aboard — bring your own, or shared crew food order on overnight / offshore (cost shared, leftovers taken home).

Leave behind

- Hard suitcases, hair dryers, excess alcohol.

Who can join

  • Intermediate — prior race yacht training
  • Minimum age: 18

Boats on this event

Log in to see who's on board

HOD

HOD

4 crew aboard

Skipper: Cal Finlayson

Gallery

FAQs

Who it's for, booking solo, pricing, midweek vs weekend, what's next after, food.

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What's on the boat vs what I bring?

On board: yacht, skipper/coach, lifejackets and safety kit, galley kit, water/tea/coffee. You bring: personal kit, layers, sleeping bag (if overnight) plus food and snacks.

What if the weather is bad?

We still run something — theory, manoeuvres in the lee of land, sheltered routes. Seriously weather-affected weekends rerun at a discount where reasonable.

I'm sea-sick prone — can I still come?

Yes. Take your remedy 30 mins before the start, not after. Tell your skipper in the safety brief.

I don't have a partner — can I still book?

Yes. We pair crew via the WhatsApp before each event. You won't be the odd one out.

Can I arrive the night before?

Usually possible, subject to availability. Arrange with the skipper in the crew WhatsApp.

How do I cancel or change my booking?

Contact us early — refunds and changes are handled case-by-case under our T&Cs. Earlier is always better.

Also sailing on OW & HOD

More with Cal Finlayson & Chris Baldwin

Ready to book?

From £395 · In 16 days · Thu 28 May

Official links

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