First ORC Double Handed Championship to be held in Sweden

Stockholm, SWE – The Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS) will host the first ever ORC Double Handed World Championship starting on 30 June 2022 with registration, preparations and inspections at the starting venue in the middle of Stockholm. Here the race will start with an intricate navigation race through the archipelago before reaching the open sea and a sail around the island of Gotland: this will be a true challenge for the competitors.

The championship is a part of the KSSS regatta Gotland Runt - the world´s largest annual offshore race which has been organized by the Royal Swedish Yacht Club since 1937 and is regarded as the season's hig
hlight in offshore sailing in the Baltic

As the ORC Double Handed fleet continues to gain strength, this first World’s will be a natural highlight of the season. The Race village that will be situated at KSSS Djurgårdshamn in the middle of Stockholm, and opens on Thursday 30 June.

The race itself starts on Sunday 3 July 2022 and we expect the world’s best boats and crews to gather at the start in Stockholm. Being a part of Gotland Runt also means that all competitors will be a part of one of Stockholm’s major summer events. As the boats start in the middle of the city, tens of thousands of spectators gather on the shores and in vessels all along the route through the archipelago.

For the sailors it will offer plenty of opportunities to make last preparations as well as mingle with friends, fans and fellow sailors. This will also make it easy for media to get access to the sailors before start. The Race village will also be the hotspot for seminars and information on the topic of sustainability, mainly with a focus on the Baltic Sea.

The race will also be covered live and we will be able to provide frequent updates with both professional stills and videos for editorial use.

After all entries finish the race near KSSS Sandhamn, a prizegiving and Regatta Dinner will be held on Wednesday 6 July.

“The Gotland Runt is a perfect opportunity to offer Doublehanded sailors an opportunity to compete in the first ORC DH World Championship,” said ORC Chairman Bruno Finzi. "It is known around the world as a challenging offshore race, and a suitable start to what we see as an annual tradition of recognizing the talents of teams in this growing sector of the sport."