Dee Caffari Casts an Eye on the Weather: 2025 Offshore Double Handed Worlds

Cowes, UK (22 September 2025) – The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), in collaboration with Cap-Regatta and supported by LGL and Jeanneau, is proud to host the 2025 Offshore Double Handed World Championships. Racing gets underway on Tuesday 23rd September with the first qualifying race and will reach its climax on Wednesday 1st October, when the final finish will decide the new world champions.

Dee Caffari © Arthur Daniel/RORC

Among those watching with interest is Dee Caffari, the first woman to sail solo non-stop around the world in both directions. A record-breaking British yachtswoman and passionate advocate for ocean health, Dee will later this year join forces with Alexia Barrier as co-skipper of The Famous Project CIC — an all-female campaign preparing for a Jules Verne Trophy world-record attempt on an Ultim trimaran.

Dee is in Cowes this week lending her support to the World Sailing-recognised world championship, and she’s already been scanning the forecast for what promises to be a fascinating week of racing. Dee casts an expert eye on the weather outlook for the two qualifying races to be held on the 23rd & 25th of September.

“For the first qualifier, the fleet can expect a light north-easterly breeze in the Solent. Any wind with a northerly element here is notoriously shifty, so crews will really need to keep their eyes out of the boat and watch for the gusts and shifts. I’d anticipate the Race Team will set a windward mark to stretch the fleet before they reach out of the Solent. Once they get outside, conditions will build — transitioning into 15 to 20 knots overnight in the Channel. Nothing extreme, but that northerly will feel cold, especially on the upwind return leg. By the early hours, they’ll come back into lighter winds in the Solent for the finish.

For the second qualifier, the picture is similar but with a little more breeze in the Solent. Still shifty, but enough pressure to get the boats moving. Outside in the Channel, they’ll once again see 15 to 20 knots. The hope is that the course sends them far enough offshore to avoid the wind shadow of the south coast, keeping them in decent breeze. As with Tuesday, the finish looks very light in the Solent. Strong tide will make positioning critical, and the local teams could have an edge there, but once outside, it’s open competition.

The key for both qualifiers will be exiting the Solent cleanly and timing the long laylines against the cross tide. That will be where the tactical battles are won and lost. With only the top five from each qualifier going straight to the final, it’s less about winning outright and more about sailing smart, avoiding mistakes, and banking that early qualification. Nobody wants to burn energy in the repechage if they can avoid it — especially in these cold northerlies where fatigue will creep in.”

What’s exciting is that the forecast promises proper racing conditions. Nothing survival, nothing dead calm — just good, challenging offshore racing where the cream should rise to the top.”

Dee Caffari believes the qualifying races for the Offshore Double Handed Worlds will have shifty Solent breezes, 15–20 knots offshore, and tactical battles with tides. Smart sailing will be key to securing a place in the final. #ODHWC2025 #RORCRacing