Double handed sailing is gaining in popularity across many disciplines – from the recent boom in double-handed racing, both inshore and offshore, to boats designed for couples to cruise two-up. We now regularly see crews of two managing all sizes of boat, and sailing them with the same efficiency and expectations as full crews.

Sailing double handed (whether racing or as a couple) allows you to enjoy the experience of cruising and ocean voyaging without the complications of extra crew. It can be tiring, sometimes tricky, but you can make it so much easier if your yacht is set up carefully in advance and you understand the techniques that will ease the burden on two people.

With this in mind, Yachting World and singlehanded ocean racer Pip Hare have launched a new series that covers some of the key manoeuvres with a crew of two. Demonstrating each manoeuvre sailing double-handed on a J/99, Pip talks through how to minimise risk, prepare for success and shares expert tips for advancing your technique.

We’ll look at spinnaker skills, as well as handling Code 0s, upwind sailing and reefing techniques. There’s also a video to demonstrate each technique.