2025 ORC Double-Handed World Championship Overall
by Offshore Racing Congress 13 Sep 14:01 BST
7-13 September 2025
MIA GIOIA (Neo 430 Roma, GER) - Martin Buck and Yves de Block - ORC DH World Championship 2025 Monfalcone © Andrea Carloni
Fifty-five teams representing ten nations gathered in the Gulf of Trieste this week for the ORC Double-Handed World Championship 2025, hosted by Yacht Club Monfalcone at Marina Monfalcone in collaboration with the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC).
Originally planned to include two races-a short and a long offshore race-the schedule was affected by severe weather conditions, forcing the abandonment of the short race. However, on Thursday morning, the Long Offshore Race began, with a distance of approximately 190 nautical miles for Class A, 167 for Class B, and 150 for Class C. From the first finish after 25 hours on Friday midday to the last after 44 hours at sea, every team completed the course within the time limit.
Class A: Victory for MIA GIOIA (GER)
In the most powerful fleet of the championship, it was the German team aboard MIA GIOIA (Neo 430 Roma), helmed by Martin Buck and Yves de Block, finishing with an elapsed time of 27 hours 53 minutes and 44 seconds, their margin of 51 minutes in corrected time ahead the second secured them the win in Class A and World Champion title.
They were followed by MECUBE (Farr 400, ITA), sailed by Riccardo De Roia and Andrea Micalli, and NEOMIND (Neo 430 Roma, GER), skippered by Sascha Schroder and Manuel Polo, who placed second and third, respectively.
"This was our first big offshore race together, and we didn't come with big expectations — just a goal to sail smart and keep the boat moving. MIA GIOIA was built and prepared specifically for short-handed sailing, and she performed beautifully across all conditions.
The race was intense, with constant changes in wind and sea state, but we kept things simple, stayed focused, and trusted each other. Winning the World Championship title is an incredible reward for this journey — and for choosing the right boat for it." Martin Buck & Yves de Block, MIA GIOIA (Neo 430 Roma, GER)
Interview with Martin and Yves:
The podium was a celebration of high-performance offshore design: two Neo 430 Romas, a lightweight carbon cruiser-racer, flanked the Farr 400, a proven racing machine.
Class B: European Champions COLOMBRE take the win
On a 167-nautical-mile course, Class B delivered a thrilling contest where experience and smart routing made the difference. COLOMBRE (JPK 10.80, ITA), skippered by Massimo Juris and Pietro Luciani, emerged victorious with a corrected time win and an elapsed time of 27 hours and 29 minutes. Having recently won the Italian Double-Handed Nationals as well, the experienced team brought strong form into the Worlds, and it paid off.
"The biggest challenge was preparation, but we had the chance to train for two weeks ahead of the Worlds at the Italian DH Nationals, which we also won. That made a huge difference. We were really happy with the windy conditions, our boat likes the breeze, and so do we.
It was a fun race and a great fight with the Salona 41 and the First 36. Knowing Sam Manuard well, it was a pleasure to race against him, too." - Pietro Luciani and Massimo Juris, COLOMBRE (JPK 10.80, ITA)
Interview with Massimo and Pietro:
Their closest rivals were RELEASE (Salona 41, GER), sailed by Maximilian Miller and Kubber Clemens, and FIRST 36 SE (SLO), helmed by none other than the boat's designer, Samuel Manuard (FRA), together with Jure Jerman (SLO).
Class C: ALTISSIMUS from Sweden Claims Gold in style
In a fleet of lighter and smaller designs, ALTISSIMUS (Corby 25, SWE), sailed by the experienced Swedish duo Lars Bergkvist and Anders Dahlsjo, clinched the top spot in Class C with a corrected time victory after sailing 148 nautical miles in 27 hours and 11 minutes.
Their resumes are impressive: In 2024, they placed second overall at the ORC DH Worlds in Norway. Dahlsjo was also the first-ever ORC DH World Champion in Class A in 2022 and silver medallist in 2023, while Bergkvist claimed silver at the 2023 Europeans.
"We really enjoy sailing under the ORC system — it's fair, competitive, and gives everyone a chance. This regatta in Monfalcone was our first time racing in the Adriatic, and while the conditions were unpredictable, we made it work. The long offshore race was challenging, but rewarding, and the organization here has been fantastic. After getting silver last year, it feels great to stand on top of the podium." - Lars Bergkvist & Anders Dahlsjo, ALTISSIMUS (Corby 25, SWE)
Interview with Lars and Anders:
Despite being the slowest-rated boat in their class, ALTISSIMUS gained time on the upwind legs and held their position through smart tactics and consistent pace.
The first to cross the line in Class C, and the fastest across the entire fleet, was LADY DAY 998 (Italia 9.98F, ITA 98189), helmed by Corrado Annis and Alberto Lonza, finishing in just 25 hours 10 minutes and 58 seconds. Their superb effort earned them second place overall in corrected time, adding another accolade to their title of Italian ORC DH Champions 2025.
Third place went to X LADY (X-332 Sport), sailed by Luca Barozzi and Vincenzo Bonaguri.
All-female and mixed teams showcased offshore talent
Among the standout entries was the all-female team MY WAY (J-80, CRO), with Petra Kliba and Steffi Edeler, who finished sixth in Class C despite sailing the smallest boat in the fleet.
Several Mixed teams also made their mark: JULES (Oceanis 46.1) in Class A, AXTEROPE (X-35) in Class B, and CHILAVISTA (Bonin 31 mod.) in Class C. These crews reflect the growing diversity and evolving future of doublehanded offshore racing.
"Congratulations to all the new World Champions who, with their successes and the participation of a truly significant number of teams and nations, have honored this world-class challenge in the best way possible. This event was made possible thanks to the close collaboration with institutions and private partners who, from the very beginning, shared a vision and an objective built over months of work. Thanks to the trust placed in us by World Sailing and ORC, and with the experience and capability of our Director, Loris Plet, we were able to demonstrate the skills and passion of our Club and all our members, each of whom made a significant commitment to the best outcome of this event. It was a very high-profile international regatta that involved the Marina Monfalcone with its top-level infrastructure, the city of Monfalcone, and the territory of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region. For our Club, the 2025 season, in terms of hosted regattas, was the best ever and marks an important step in the growth program that the Yacht Club Monfalcone has set for its future and for sailing in the upper Adriatic." - Germano Scarpa, President of the Yacht Club Monfalcone
"This championship in Monfalcone truly captured the spirit of double-handed offshore racing - tactical, diverse, and proudly international. It has been a remarkable showcase of fair and competitive sailing under the ORC rule. Congratulations to the new World Champions and all teams on the podium! Moreover, a Big Thank You to all teams making their way to Monfalcone!
Our sincere thanks go to Marina Monfalcone for their warm hospitality, and to Yacht Club Monfalcone and its Manager Loris Plet for delivering such a well-organised and high-level regatta here in the Adriatic." - Bruno Finzi, Chairman of the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC)
The new ORC Double-Handed World Champions will be crowned on Saturday at 19:00 during the official Prizegiving Ceremony in the spectacular Olympic Hangar at Marina Monfalcone.
The next ORC double-handed championships will be in 2026: the ORC DH European Championship in Altea, Spain, from March 1st to 7th and the ORC DH World Championship in Scheveningen, the Netherlands, from May 18th to 25th.
The Altea Sailing Club will provide wild cards/free entries for the ORC DH Europeans 2026 to the winners of all three classes at the 2025 ORC DH Worlds in Monfalcone.
The ORC technical team supports the operations on site, working in close coordination with race officials and the organising club. The team is proudly outfitted in gear from VENNVIND, the event's Official Technical Gear Supplier, further reflecting the professionalism and collaboration behind the scenes.
Full results here