Dutch J/Teams Sweep Silver in ORC Doublehanded World Championship
(Scheveningen, The Hague, the Netherlands) – The fifth edition of the ORC Doublehanded World Championship concluded in Scheveningen, the Netherlands, after four days of offshore racing on the North Sea, where twenty-nine doublehanded teams from eight nations battled for the 2026 world titles. Hosted by Jachtclub Scheveningen, in co-operation with the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) as part of the North Sea Regatta, the championship combined a Short Offshore Race and the decisive Long Offshore Race to determine the new ORC Doublehanded World Champions in three classes.
The championship’s decisive Long Offshore Race proved critical in shaping the overall standings and delivered nearly two days of tactical offshore racing on the North Sea in warm late-spring conditions. Starting on Friday afternoon, shortly after 1500 hrs off the beach in Scheveningen, each class sailed its own course, with Class A covering 230.44 nautical miles, Class B 216.77 nautical miles, and Class C 192.59 nautical miles. The fleet enjoyed a favorable 15-knot south-southwesterly breeze at the start, creating a fast downwind opening before the race developed into a demanding combination of reaching and long upwind sections offshore. The final finishers returned to Scheveningen Harbor during the early hours of Sunday morning. Teams faced tactical conditions, unfamiliar currents for many, changing breeze angles, and overnight navigation challenges on courses stretching between the Dutch and British coasts.
Scored under ORC’s Weather Routing Scoring (WRS) system, the offshore marathon delivered close racing throughout the fleet. With the Long Offshore Race carrying a higher scoring coefficient of 1.5 than the Short Offshore Race’s 1.0, the championship format placed greater emphasis on offshore endurance, tactical consistency, and navigation.
In challenging weather conditions, the all-round nature of J/Boat designs made them competitive in the long race. In the end, J/crews got silver in all three divisions! Here is how they fared in their respective fleets.
ORC A Division
Second overall in Class A went to the Dutch team of Frans van Capelle and Thi van Hout aboard their J/122E MOANA.
ORC B Division
Second overall in Class B went to the Dutch team of Walter Kollmann and Wick Hillege aboard their J/99 LÄLLEKÖNIG.
ORC C Division
Class C delivered the closest overall battle of the championship. After leading the standings following the Short Offshore Race, Sweden’s defending world champions aboard the Corby 25 ALTISSIMUS and Lithuania’s Platu 25 BESTIJA both received standard penalties in the Long Offshore Race after entering obstruction zones, opening the door for a major reshuffle in the final standings.
Ultimately, second place overall was claimed by America’s Cup winner Simeon Tienpont and Bas Sijstma aboard their classic J/35 FEVER, while Olympic medallist Roy Heiner and Jelle Lourens completed the podium aboard their J/109 TEAM HEINER 4!! It was a fantastic performance for these four J/Teams… the only J/Boats in the entire regatta!
“This championship showcased everything that makes doublehanded racing so special,” said Regatta Director Edwin Lodder at Jachtclub Scheveningen. “Great competition, tactical sailing, teamwork, endurance, and the unique atmosphere of the North Sea. We are proud that Scheveningen could host such an outstanding world championship.”
The 2026 championship once again demonstrated the continued growth and competitiveness of doublehanded offshore racing under ORC, bringing together a remarkably diverse fleet of boats and sailors in one of the sport’s most demanding formats. Scheveningen delivered a memorable fifth edition of the ORC Doublehanded World Championship.
For more ORC Doublehanded World Championship sailing information
https://orc.org/dhworlds2026