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In just under two weeks, Aaron Hume-Merry and Anna Merchant will be lining up against some of the best short-handed sailors in the business for arguably one of their biggest challenges to date.
Naturally, they can't wait.
The young Auckland couple is one of two Kiwi teams vying for success at the Offshore Double Handed World Championship in Lorient, France, later this month where they’ll be sailing under the SSANZ and Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) flags.
Andrew Hall and Sandra Bees is the other NZ entry.
They will compete in one of two 12-hour overnight qualifier races on September 25, with the top five from each pool advancing to the 48-hour final from September 29 to October 1.
Hume-Merry, 36, and Merchant, 25, have amassed over 6000 nm two-handed over the last six years sailing together. They claimed line honours in their division in the 2022 Northern Triangle – their first multi-day race together - and were first overall on line and PHRF in the mixed-team category in the 2023 Round North Island, also claiming PHRF division honours in leg 1.
In April they were third overall in the Three Kings Race, as part of Clockwork Racing.
Like many Kiwi kids, Hume-Merry started sailing an Optimist at 7, and quickly rose through the ranks - he represented New Zealand in the ILCA 7 and was included in Yachting New Zealand’s AON Fast Track programme campaigning for the Olympics in the 49er class.
After stepping away from Olympic classes, Hume-Merry turned his focus to cycling - where he quickly achieved top places in several national road races, helping him get selected to trial for the NZ Olympic track cycling team. It wasn’t long, however, before his love for sailing was rekindled with an invitation to join the RNZYS performance programme and his passion for keelboat racing had begun.
Merchant was first introduced to sailing by her dad who took her out on keelboat adventures as a kid before trying her hand at dinghies. She then began racing keelboats, joining the RNZYS youth training programme at a young age. No stranger to passage and offshore sailing, she competed in her first offshore event at 17.
After graduating from YTP, Merchant joined the performance programme where the 2.0 Match Racing Team was forged - with the team placing third in the world champs in 2022 and achieving the same overall result in the women's world match racing tour last year. She joined Will Reid and his RNZYS team at the 2023 New York Yacht Club (NYYC) Rolex Invitational Regatta where they took third place, and more recently helped to secure another third at the NYYC Annual Regatta with Menace.
Aaron Hume-Merry and Anna Merchant on board Southern Fun. Photos / Supplied
Fast forward to today and taking on the best in the world having never laid eyes on the one-design Jeanneau Sun Fast 30s used in France will be a completely new challenge.
"There’s only so much we can do from here," Merchant said. "We follow a few of the teams on social media and they are out there training in their own Sun Fast 30ODs. Some teams have also come off the back of success in the Mini 6.50, Class40 or Figaro circuits, so we’re expecting a tough fleet. We know the tides and currents in the Bay of Biscay can be extreme too, and it’s a complex area, so we’re preparing for anything."
Around their full-time day jobs and Merchant's international sailing commitments, they’ve been putting their skills to the test in several SSANZ races this year – including the ANZAC Enduro, the Triple Series aboard Southern Fun, and regular RNZYS club racing with the Clockwork Racing crew.
"Thanks to the generosity of the local fleet, we’ve also managed a few sessions to familiarise ourselves with the most similar yachts here to those we’ll be racing in France," Hume-Merry said. "There will be a bit of adjusting to a new boat with different setups, and we’ll have just a few training days to sort some of this out and get dialled in.
"The RNI was the biggest two-handed adventure we’ve tackled together so far, and it was definitely good preparation for the world champs."
Initially, the pair considered the event to be out of their reach financially, however, with the outpouring of support, and the opportunity on the table, they couldn’t let it pass.
"We talked to a few people and organisations and instantly felt a huge amount of support behind us," Hume-Merry said. "We then looked at it again without the costs in mind and decided it was something we wanted to give a shot, and that we’d find a way to achieve the funding required.
"We’re definitely doing this campaign on a small budget, but the support we’ve received from Wadding Solutions, SSANZ, RNZYS, Clockwork Racing, Helly Hansen Aus/NZ, PredictWind, the Kiwi Cup, and our family and friends has been incredible. We genuinely couldn’t have done this without everyone’s support."
Merchant and Hume-Merry will represent New Zealand at the Offshore Double Handed World Championship in France. Photos / Supplied
Sailing with your partner does have its advantages, Merchant said.
"It makes the logistics easier because our schedules are very aligned, and it’s pretty cool to be working together on something as testing and rewarding as offshore sailing.
"We also know how to read each other – if Aaron is ever grumpy, I know all he needs is food or coffee, while a quick power nap usually does it for me!"
Their different sailing backgrounds complement each other well.
"Aaron knows how to get a boat moving fast and is super dialled in. He’s great at tactics and positioning, whereas my strengths are in sail setups, processes, and moding," Merchant explained.
"We think we work well together but with so many uncontrollables, it’s tricky to set expectations for the regatta. We want to go into this event with a positive mindset, absorb as much as possible, and enjoy the whole campaign. It’s a seriously cool event and we’re full froth for it. In sailing, anything can happen, and we’re just really proud to be representing New Zealand on an international stage."
Hopefully, Hume-Merry adds, their involvement can attract more Kiwis to the sport and encourage other short-handed sailors to give these events a go.
"[Short-handed offshore sailing] is physically and mentally exhausting. It's relentless. There’s something to do every second of every race to go faster or sail smarter," he said.
"But with the epic sunrises, being surrounded by ocean, dolphins and marine life, and the sense of freedom and closeness with nature – what’s not to love?"
If you would like to support Merchant and Hume-Merry's, contact them at annaandaaronsailing@gmail.com. You can follow their progress on Facebook or check out their website. The live tracker can be accessed through the event page.
