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37-560: The IRC rule is not published, meaning the only bodies capable of calculating an IRC rating are the RORC Rating Office and UNCL Centre de Calcul in Paris (they are joint owners of the Rule). This prevents designers from attempting to design 'to the rule'. The earlier IOR was published, and often amended, resulting in widespread criticism for several reasons. Firstly, as the rule effectively dictated

74-520: A Governing Board of officers and elected members, and operated by standing committees including Finance, Audit, Nominating, and Membership, to name but a few. The club has eleven stations, each with its own rear commodore and officers, and its own annual activities. The stations are: Bermuda, Bras d'Or, Boston (including Buzzards Bay Post, Gulf of Maine Post, and Narragansett Bay Post), Chesapeake, Essex, Florida, Great Lakes, New York, Pacific Northwest, San Francisco, and Southern California. Membership

111-412: A class weight used towards their IRC Ratings. Racers then need to submit rig, sail, ... to complete the application process. These standard overhang and displacement values reference the lightest boat in class. IRC Rule and the information contained here is published with permission from the RORC Rating Office (Seahorse Rating Ltd). Originally called Channel Handicap, the rule was developed in 1983 at

148-407: A high centre of gravity , meant that crew weight provided a significant proportion of stability at small heel angles , and boats had a relatively low angle of vanishing stability. This developed into the situation about 1977 when the boats winning in most smaller IOR categories (up to the half tonners - about 10m LOA) had all internal ballast , often with an unballasted daggerboard . The managers of

185-593: A more moderate displacement, and as race courses moved from offshore racing with plenty of reaching towards windward/leeward round the cans, racing designs became narrower and less powerful but more easily driven. A good reference on the IOR Rule, including an analysis of the different formulae and measurements used, can be found in the book The Offshore Yacht . Today, modern "maxis" are simply limited to 30m (98'), encouraging improvements in boat design, and exciting sailing, and not simply rule modification, as still plagues

222-707: A time when there was a strong decline in the turnout for racing at the then predominant IOR (International Offshore Rule) . The British RORC and the French UNCL, who jointly developed the rule, saw it as a means to get the "average club sailor" involved in racing, in the hope that they would subsequently upgrade their boat to participate under the IOR rule, or possibly the IMS handicapping system if that became more established. The key people in its initial development were Keith Ludlow, Jonathan Hudson and Jean Sans, and then Tim Thornton took over

259-481: A wedge shape, and a change from masthead rig to a fractional rig. This dinghy influence gave much faster performance reaching and downwind, and although windward performance was not as good, it improved as the designs developed. The ultimate in this stage was the various lightweight centerboard designs with internal ballast, but these were not sufficiently seaworthy for offshore racing and so were penalised so heavily that they were effectively banned. Designs then moved to

296-455: Is by invitation. According to the CCA constitution, "A person eligible for membership in the club must be a sailor and a person of acceptable character and personality who has demonstrated his or her ability to handle or command and navigate and pilot a small vessel at sea, and who has had sufficient cruising experience." According to the club's candidate qualifications guidelines and policies, "a sailor"

333-506: Is defined as follows: "This word does not exclude a seaman by trade or profession. It has long ceased to mean only a rope-and-canvas seaman; the mariner in power is likewise a sailor. We consider, however, that a candidate who cruises under power should have established his or her qualifications under sail." With the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club , the CCA sponsors the biennial Bermuda Race from Newport, Rhode Island to Bermuda . It

370-500: The America's Cup competition. The introduction of VPPs, or Velocity Prediction Programs , morphed the science of yacht performance measurement. Inherent to the IOR was the concept of a measurement officer taking discrete hull measurements and the IOR formula assumed the hull lines behaved continuously between measurement points. The IMS took the actual hull lines and analysed their continuum, essentially eliminating funny bumps or hollows in

407-661: The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) rule. The IOR was superseded (in the early 1990s) by the International Measurement System (IMS) and CHS (since renamed IRC ). While some IOR yachts race at club level under IRC in more or less their original form, others had major surgery to make them competitive within the new rules. The IOR concentrated on hull shape with length, beam, freeboard and girth measurements, foretriangle, mast and boom measurements, and stability with an inclination test. Additionally,

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444-481: The 1979 Fastnet's, but in that 115-boat fleet, only three percent of the boats were reported to have rolled upside down and 18 percent put their masts in the water—against 24 percent and 33 percent in the Fastnet storm. Apart from the girth measurements, all measurements were basically point measurements. This meant that the hull was often locally distorted to maximise or minimise a measurement locally, with minimal effect to

481-459: The Club is structured around national committees that conduct mission-related work and manage the administrative operations of the organization, and around geographical Stations that provide regional focus for the membership. Primary mission-focused committees include Safety at Sea, Offshore Communications, Technical, Environment, Cruising Guides and Charts, Bermuda Race, and Awards. The Club is managed by

518-418: The Fastnet storm were big enough to knock down a few 50-footers, and they smashed over a great many smaller boats that then capsized and stayed upside down until other steep waves slapped their keels and levered them back upright. Good work led to the new IMS rule, which turned out boats that, while fast, resist capsize to beyond 120 degrees. The 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race had conditions at least as bad as

555-478: The IOR identified features which were dangerous, or it couldn't fairly rate, and penalized or prohibited them. The measurements and penalties were used to compute the handicap number, called an IOR rating , in feet. The higher the rating, the faster the boat was deemed to be able to sail. A typical IOR 40 footer (a one tonner ) rated 30.55 feet. The IOR rule encouraged wide short boats with limited stability. A narrow waterline and large beam on deck, combined with

592-525: The RORC side of things in the final development of the rule and its subsequent launch. The rule was designed to favour heavy cruising boats with lower sail areas, dissuading more extreme racing yachts coming in to Channel Handicap. It was also designed to use the minimum number of measurements, in contrast to both the IOR and IMS, and to have owners measure their own boats, to make it simple and economic to implement. It quickly became popular, and even more so when

629-471: The classic 'diamond' plan form of the IOR - was believed to impact safety, and was cited as a factor in the 1979 Fastnet race disaster. In theory, the IRC avoids these problems. IRC can apply a rating to any single or two-masted ballasted monohull yacht. It considers such features as asymmetric spinnakers, carbon masts, canting keels, and water ballast, all of which have been permitted for several years. Furthermore,

666-566: The correctness of the rated data, generally by measurement by appointed measurers. Race Committees may require endorsed certificates for some events. Also, an IRC measurement manual is available on the IRC website https://ircrating.org along with simplified measurement guidance to assist with local measurement if required. Boat classes/models for which IRC Standards have been set in terms of LH, overhangs, empty weight, beam and draft measurements only. Upon applying for base ratings (non-endorsed), one may elect to have standard overhang dimensions and

703-429: The effect of changes in the handicapping rules. The first was catered for by an age allowance , which reduced the handicap of boats as they got older. The second was catered for to some extent by grandfather clauses in the IOR rules, but this did not cater for designer's ability to design to the rule increasing with every year. This, plus the annual rule changes, gave boats a competitive life of no more than 2 or 3 years at

740-580: The ensuing yachts and generally rendering much cleaner, faster lines that were far more exciting, safer to sail, and had higher resale value. Cruising Club of America The Cruising Club of America (CCA) is an international organization of cruisers whose objects are to promote cruising and racing by amateurs, to encourage the development of suitable types of cruising craft, to stimulate interest in seamanship , navigation and handling small vessels, and to keep on file all information which may be of assistance to members in cruising in any waters. The CCA

777-514: The first boat to finish was the winner, with no handicapping. The first of these was the One Ton class , so named because there was a spare trophy from the defunct One Ton rating class, and this then spawned the Mini Ton , 1/4 Ton , 1/2 Ton , 3/4 Ton and Two Ton classes, as well as unofficial 50-footer, ULDB 70, and Maxi classes. The official classes each had an annual world championships. The IOR

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814-466: The interests, achievement, experience, and love and respect for the sea of the club's founders. Now in its 100th year, the CCA continues to use the collective wisdom and experience of its members to influence the "adventurous use of the sea" through efforts to elevate good seamanship, the design of seaworthy yachts, safe yachting practices, and environmental awareness. The Cruising Club of America has no clubhouse or shoreside base, and no paid staff. Rather,

851-411: The loopholes to ensure fair racing and a reasonable competitive life for the boats. As the racing became more competitive, the rate of change in the rule accelerated, and also the boats at the top of the fleet became stripped out racing machines that performed well but were expensive and also difficult to sail, and this resulted in a loss of popularity. However even if club sailors could not compete against

888-478: The nature of boat designs, amendments to the rule could result in older designs gaining less favourable ratings compared to their real world speed, making racing competitively more expensive. Also, the pressure to produce designs which performed well under the rule resulted in designers producing yachts with certain dimensions intentionally extreme, in order to gain an unfairly favourable rating. The production of yachts which were excessively light and beamy - what became

925-417: The race, as seconds per mile, known as Time on Distance. Time on Distance is easier to calculate at any point in the race, but can cause significant anomalies in tidal waters as the distance sailed through the water can differ significantly from the distance over the ground, due to the effect of the tide. The IOR rule was also used to define level rating classes, where each class had a maximum IOR rating, and

962-619: The rule is reviewed annually in light of new developments and trends in past results. On this front, RORC and UNCL seek and actively welcome input and comment from the users. In recent years the Rule has since been developed to rate modern, light boats more fairly. IRC permits and encourages owner declared measurement and this policy will be maintained for the future, although some clubs and areas have always insisted that locally they should measure boats. There are also 'Endorsed' IRC ratings which require RORC or UNCL, as appropriate, to be satisfied as to

999-466: The rule realised that this was not a suitable direction for seaworthy yachts, and heavily penalised boats with lifting keels, but not before the 1979 Fastnet race ended in disaster. Writes John Rousmaniere : In the '70s, the IOR helped produce a new breed of racing and racing-cruising boat that was little more than a big, wide dinghy with a stability range as low as 90 degrees (meaning it would capsize completely when heeled only that far). The waves in

1036-459: The rule was extended to include day sailing keelboats, extending from the origin need for cruising style accommodation and more stringent safety equipment for sailing offshore. An attempt was also made to extend it to include multihulls, though this failed due to the political differences between the monohull and multihull sailors and their clubs. It quickly outgrew the Channel in its reach, and in 2000

1073-448: The surrounding hull. This gave a characteristic bumped look to many boats, particularly at the point of maximum beam and in the stern. Also, as stability was only measured at very low heel angles (less than 5 degrees), boats were designed with a very narrow waterline and low stability in measurement trim, but a hull form that gained stability with the weight of the crew and other equipment, and with increasing angles of heel. Low stability

1110-421: The top boats, the IOR did generate a reasonably level playing field across the sailing spectrum, with club sailors buying production race boats or custom boats past their prime, and moving up to more competitive boats as they wanted to sail up the fleet. Towards the end of its life the IOR had become a stable rule, but by then it had a reputation of changing too often, and this sowed the seeds for its successors. IMS

1147-460: The top level. Initially designs were heavy displacement, with a fine, often V-shaped stern as well as a fine bow. These were powerful boats for sailing to windward, but had limited performance offwind as well as often having an alarming tendency to broach - designers included Sparkman & Stephens and Dick Carter. Then Ron Holland 's quarter-tonner Eygthene began the next phase of increasingly lightweight boats with fuller sterns giving more of

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1184-506: The use of exotic materials, such as carbon fibre and Nomex , and also scantlings for hull structural design developed by the American Bureau of Shipping . In a handicap race, the IOR length was used to compute a time allowance . In Europe this was calculated on the duration of the race, in seconds per hour, known as Time on Time, whereas in the USA they preferred to base it on the length of

1221-418: Was encouraged (up to a point) because the initial assumption was that low stability indicated a well fitted out interior, and so more of a cruising boat than a stripped out racer. Secondary design factors included engine and propeller rating factors, minimum internal accommodation levels, safety regulations, and a limit on the number of sails carried on board. Later on, crew limits were introduced, and limits on

1258-544: Was introduced as a more scientific rule for racing yachts, driven by the US, whereas Channel Handicap was introduced in 1983 by the RORC as a simple club level rule that would hopefully feed people into IOR racing - though in fact it proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the IOR rule. Boats had a short competitive life for two reasons: the overall increase in performance of newer boats due to better design and construction, and also

1295-601: Was launched in the winter of 1922 at Maskells Harbour on Nova Scotia's Bras d'Or Lake by a handful of experienced offshore cruisers interested in cruising The founders included Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor , F.W. (Casey) Baldwin , William Washburn Nutting, Jim Dorsett, and William A. Wise Wood. As of 2021, the club has more than 1,400 members, including 116 women. Members range from 25 to 99 years of age, averaging 70.7 years. CCA members report owning 1,036 boats, averaging 41.3 feet. This includes 702 sailing yachts, 225 powerboats, and 49 "undesignated" boats." CCA's members personify

1332-514: Was renamed IRC. In 2003 it was recognised as an international rule by ISAF . Racing under IRC has become more competitive over the years, and it is used in hundred of clubs races, open events and the major offshore classic races around the world. International Offshore Rule The International Offshore Rule (IOR) was a measurement rule for racing sailboats. The IOR evolved from the Cruising Club of America (CCA) rule for racer/cruisers and

1369-519: Was run by the ITC, or International Technical Committee, of the Offshore Racing Congress , chaired between 1979 and 1987 by the late Gary Mull of San Francisco. As with all published handicapping formulae, there was an ongoing game between the designers finding ways of designing boats that took advantage of shortcomings in the measurement system and handicapping formulae, and the rule makers closing

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