The Royal Southampton Yacht Club is delighted to announce that Molson Coors has agreed to sponsor the prestigious Double Handed Series for 2010 in this, the 30th year of double handed racing at the club. The series will be known as the "Coors Light Double Handed Series."
Royal Southampton's Double Handed Series is widely appreciated as the premier event for double handed racers in the UK. The first race of this type at the club was the "Island Double" which took place in 1981 with 131 entries. It was the brainchild of Neil Cox whose company, Solent Rigging supported the growing series into the late 1990s.
The Coors Light Main Series is now an eight race event affair with four of the Solent races constituting the Coors Light Inshore Series and the remaining four passage races comprising the Coors Light Offshore Series. This year is the first time that the offshore series is a series in its own right with trophies for the class winners.
Laura Lee, Regional Director of the Molson Coors Brewing Company, says: "I am absolutely delighted that we have been given the opportunity to sponsor this great series. Double handed racing is a growing sport probably because of the technical challenges over and above fully crewed racing as well as the inherent camaraderie that it brings to the crews after racing. They are a sociable lot and we are fortunate to be in a position to enhance that experience."
As well as supporting the club directly the sponsorship package includes event clothing for early series entries, complimentary drinks after racing and terrific product prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each of the five classes competing in each race.
Mike Garvey, Captain of Racing at RSYC and himself a double handed racer, feels that the relationship between Molson Coors and the Club could not be better. "The Coors Light Double Handed Series is an excellent series and one we can be proud of. We are optimistic that numbers in 2010 will be greater than ever to reflect the growing popularity of racing with just two on board. There is no crew recruitment to worry about and after a challenging time on the boat there is nothing better than to relax with like minded friends and fellow competitors over a jar or two. Molson Coors are putting a lot of effort into providing real enhancements to the series and we are very grateful to them for their contribution. We are confident that this is the beginning of a longstanding relationship."
Molson Coors Area Manager, Ian Jeffs, is keen to see what is involved - for the first race, on April 10 he will be out on the water for the Coors Light Spring Solent Double. He will be on the committee boat to witness the action first hand!
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