yacht racing irc

How Racing Rating Rules Work (and how to maximize yours)

Racing ratings can seem confusing and overwhelming. Our team at Quantum is here to help you understand how ratings work, decipher the various systems, and help you maximize your ratings to ensure your best shot at the podium. Our sail designers have outlined a few key elements about ratings. Understanding them can help you get the most out of your racing rating.

Rating rules are a powerful tool that allows a variety of yachts to compete on a level playing field. If you race a tortoise against a hare (assuming the hare is smart enough not to take a nap in the middle of the race), the hare will always win. Not really a fair match-up. The same goes for non-one design racing. Being the first yacht over the finish line, while impressive, does not necessarily mean you sailed the best race comparatively. Therefore, rating rules come into play. It is important to understand how they work so you can work with your sailmaker and other specialists to optimize your program and level the playing field, so your crew’s talent shines.

There are four main rating rules: Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF), International Racing Conference (IRC), Offshore Racing Congress (ORC), and Offshore Racing Rule (ORR). We will give a brief overview of how each rating rule assigns a rating, why it is important to your program, and how Quantum can help make sure you have the best rating possible. While there are other rating systems, these are the four we focus on in this article.

The Rating Rules

In general, rating systems assign a value to a yacht or a particular yacht setup. This number is then used to correct finish times after each race. With all four rules, the most common way to score a race is to use a time-on-time (TOT) or a time-on-distance (TOD) correction. TOT corrections consider how long it takes to race; the TOD formula looks at the distance of the race. However, ORC and ORR ratings consider additional factors and have some flexibility for a custom correction formula.

PHRF is a simple handicap system, similar to the system used in golf. Considering the type of yacht, an assumed sail plan, and the team’s performance, a corrected-time handicap factor is assigned to the team. Races under PHRF rules correct times using TOD or TOT.

The other three rating rules are a bit more complicated. These rules use formulas to assign a rating to each yacht based on the yacht’s dimensions, construction, and design features. The formulas for IRC and ORR are closely guarded secrets; however, it is still possible for sailmakers, yacht builders, and other specialists to understand how various factors affect the rating. ORC has two categories of classification, ORC International and ORC Club. In this article and for most applications, we refer mostly to ORC-International rating that requires a measurement performed by an official and certified measurer. ORC has a published formula that gives designers information to analyze and data to work from.

IRC looks at several yacht elements from sail size to weight and beam. It compares yachts as a percentage and then assigns the yacht a rating that is corrected using TOT.

ORC and ORR take their rating system to the next level by using complex formulas to predict the speed of the yacht with a given setup. These formulas are often referred to as Velocity Prediction Programs (VPP). There are a few ways these ratings can be used to score a race, including TOT, TOD, and performance curve scoring.

What Goes Into a Rating?

A large amount of data is plugged into IRC, ORC, and ORR proprietary formulas that generate ratings for various conditions and situations. For example, an ORR certificate has multiple standard and custom ratings for specific events such as the Newport Bermuda Race. Common data used to determine ratings includes hull data, sail measurements and types, crew and yacht weight, waterline, hardware, sailing trim, and other rigging data and measurements.

How Ratings Change

Due to several factors, your ratings can change even though your yacht hasn’t. The most common factor in rating change is sail size. Smaller sails equal a better rating across the board, and, since all modern sails shrink with use, your ratings can change over time. Every time you fold, hoist, or tack your sails, they shrink a bit, not unlike the way a piece of paper shrinks each time you crumple it up and re-flatten it. Some sail constructions, such as those using a lot of Dyneema, tend to shrink more than carbon sails.

General yacht specifications from the yacht manufacturer are often used to compile data points; however, each yacht is unique, so having the correct data for your yacht and rig can go a long way toward improving your rating.

How to Optimize Your Rating

Because IRC, ORC, and ORR ratings consider a number of elements that affect the speed of the yacht, there is a lot of room to tweak your setup to optimize your yacht for a particular racing rule. Sometimes a simple sail re-measurement is all it takes to better your handicap. That can be a real game changer when you are racing the 333-mile Chicago-to-Mackinac, the 475-mile Annapolis-to-Newport, or the 2,225-mile Trans Pac.

PHRF is harder to optimize due to the way ratings are assigned. Since the rating is based on boat type, it assumes these boats all use the same sail inventory. The best way to improve your PHRF rating is to improve your performance by using the sails your handicap is rated for. Quantum can help you review your rating and inventory and ensure the form is accurate. Our team can also explore how your regional PHRF committee measures the impact of switching from a pole and symmetrical spinnaker setup to a fixed-pole asymmetrical setup, as that can also greatly affect your handicap.

Whether you have an existing rating or need to apply for a new one, there are essentially three ways you can get the best, or at least a better, rating.

Option 1: Maximize what you’ve got.

This is the most common, easiest, and cheapest way to improve your rating. Bring your rating certificate and your largest sails to your local Quantum loft. We will start by verifying the sails listed on the certificate and re-measure them. We’ll discuss your yacht and sail plan, regatta schedule, overall program, and where you want to take it. This gives us a better understanding and helps us identify other areas that can improve your rating. Sometimes it is as simple as helping you re-submit your form with updated sail sizes.

Option 2: Deeper Analysis and Inventory

If your team is looking to take things to the next level or has a specific goal in mind, Quantum can help guide you through the second option. It is a bit more expensive than the first option but yields results. After assessing your current rating, goals, and budget, we will help coordinate and guide you through a whole-yacht optimization process using our in-house design team as well as other industry partners.

A Quantum sail designer will look carefully at your existing inventory, identify gaps or areas that could be improved, make recommendations for tweaking current sails, and add new or swap different sails to your inventory. We’ll run various simulations to dial in your rating based on your sail plan and help you create a long-term plan focused on optimizing your rating and sailing objectives.

Then we’ll work with other industry experts and review your yacht for potential changes or upgrades. These experts will run multiple analyses of your setup and identify areas that could benefit from re-evaluating your measurements, such as weighing your yacht to get an accurate weight instead of using the rules default values. 

Option 3: Weather and Location Ratings

The third option builds on the first two options and fine-tunes your rating for specific wind conditions and/or locations. Working within our network of industry experts, we’ll gather historical weather data for a particular event and run multiple simulations for the venue to further optimize your overall plan. This is a common practice with professional and Grand Prix racing teams

WHICH RATING DO I NEED?

This is a rather complex question that ultimately involves weighing and prioritizing factors that answer other questions. Is there an offshore race you’ve always wanted to sail? A destination regatta with a variety of classes to compete in? How much value is placed on the potential outcome, thereby determining which event to sail? Ratings and measurement systems evolve, and your boat, using one rating, may be more favorable in the same race with a different rating in a different class or suited for a different race altogether. While we can’t recommend one system over another, we can walk you through your sailing program plans and goals and help you decide which is the best system and then optimize that rating.

Regardless of where your program stands, we are here to help you understand how rating rules work and guide you to a better rating so that you and your team get the most out of the hard work you put in to cross the finish line. Email our team at  [email protected] to get the process started. _____

Other Resources:

• US Sailing: Rating Rules and Handicapping Systems.
• US Sailng: Offshore Competition
• US Sailing: PHRF Fleet Contact Directory
• International Rating Certificate: Official Website
• Offshore Racing Congress: Official Website
• Offshore Rating Rule: Offical Website

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The complete guide to rating systems in sail racing

In one of the previous guides dedicated to yatching, we spoke about the  types of professional regattas that are out there.

In particular, we have learned that every association holds competitions among same-class yachts. However, there are also private regattas where the yachtsmen can command their own yacht or a charter one. To level the playing field for different vessels, the organizers use rating systems.

Let us look into that closely in this new and complete guide to rating systems in sail racing.

The rating systems in sail racing

During a year, federations of yacht / centerboard / catamaran classes hold their own races — national, regional and world championships events. The key rule for those is adhering to a single standard — the hull, sails and rigging should be the same. Yet, the same crews can compete in professional-amateur regattas, too. In this case, they are divided into separate groups (divisions) and have their results scored according to the class rules.

Scoring the results of the teams performing on different vessels, i.e. having different potential for winning, is a far more difficult task. To find out the real possibilities of a yacht as compared to racers, a special mathematic formula is used which calculates the racing score (rating). After a race, these individual score points are multiplied by the team’s results, and the team with the shortest recalculated time wins. Such a scoring system is called a rating system.

The rules of time recalculation depending on a yacht rating are called the handicap system. Any measurement and rating system is directly connected with the yacht’s technical characteristics, i.e. its handicap.

Frank Holleman C / Unsplash

The main types of rating systems (centificates) in sail racing

To take part in a regatta, a yacht should obtain the rating system certificate. Among the most applicable ones are the following certificates:

• ORC (Offshore Racing Congress International and ORC Club)
• IRC (International Rating Certificate)
• MOCRA (Multihull Offshore Cruising & Racing Association)

Virtually all the large-scale world events combine different divisions (a division unites vessels racing on the same distance). Any of those events may use their own rating.

Offshore Racing Congress (ORC)

The Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) establishes and maintains uniform rating standards in the sailing sport. In 1969 it presented two certificates — ORC International and ORC Club — to unite the two then-dominant standards — CCA (Cruising Club of America) for North and South Americas and RORC (Royal Ocean Racing Club for European countries). The ORC International and the ORC Club are similar certificates. The difference between them is that an official measurer performs measurement for the former one, while in the case of the ORC Club, the boat owner can submit some of the details, unless there is a possibility to conduct the full measurement in one’s own region. To assess boats with different characteristics, the ORC system uses:

• IMS (International Measurement System) computer-based measurement system. The programme measures performance characteristics of a given boat under various wind velocities and angles based on fundamental hydro- and aerodynamics principles;
• VPP (ORC Velocity Prediction Program) , which performs an automated technical analysis of the 7 real wind velocities, 8 real wind angles and 2 VMG (Velocity Made Good) optimum angles for a yacht.

The measurement is performed onshore, hence the boat should be fixed in place as much as possible, with the centerboard (if any) raised and the rigging raked. The features to be measured are the hull in all its dimensions, the helm/rudder, the centerboard/keel, the internal ballast, accumulator batteries, fixed and/or permanent/immovable interior details, hatch covers and floorboards, permanent mechanisms, electric equipment and vessel systems, the outboard motor, the mast, the boom, the spinnaker boom and/or the bowsprit, the standing and running rigging. As a result, you get a boat measurement file, with the ORC certificate containing the current yacht characteristics. If you have altered any parts of the vessel, a new measurement is required.

The typical ORC certificate looks like this

There are two ways to present the measurement results:

• In the metric system showing up to the third digit after the point, except sails for which only two digits after the point are indicated. The weight is presented in kilos with one-digit-after-point precision.
• In the English system where all the measurements are in pounds and are indicated up to two digits, except sails which have it up to one digit. The weight is presented in pounds.

ORC is the sole reputable body recognized by World Sailing to regulate racing rules for any events using the IMS system. To take part in an ORC regatta or division, every competitor should have a certificate from an official measurer. Today, it may be obtained in 45 countries of the world . You can fill out an application on the ORC website to have your boat measured in the One Design or an ORC group, as well as to make yourself familiar with the current set of rules and the rating for other boats in the ORC Sailor Services online catalog. The certificate gives one the opportunity to compete in the sailing events, which are:

• Organized directly by ORC according to their rating system . Among the most important events here are ORC World Championship, ORC European Championship and ORC European Sportboat Championship.
• In a multitude of other national and international regattas in ORC divisions . The key events here are Barcolana, Rolex Giraglia Cup, Rolex Middle Sea Race, Copa del Rey and other ones.

The ORC breaks down the yachts into subgroups (ORC 0, ORC 1, ORC 2). Sometimes several subgroups may compete individually in regattas. One ORC subgroup includes yachts with similar handicap. The regatta’s organizing committee sets the participant rules itself. For instance, to take part in an ORC-division at Copa del Rey, you should comply with the following requirement : Boats with LOA (Lengh Overall) ≥ to 9.30 m., with GPH (General Purpose Handicap) between 505 sec./mile and 660 sec./mile.   Under the criteria of the Organizing Committee, and according to the number of entries, this group may be divided in three classes with the following cuts:

• ORC 1: GPH between 505 and < 575 sec/mile 
• ORC 2: GPH between 575 and < 605 sec/mile
• ORC 3: GPH between 605 and <= 660 sec/mile

Thus, the ORC system allows to identify the technical parameters for each yacht and find the common denominator with the other competitors. After a race, the crew’s elapsed time is multiplied by the coefficient from the measurement table. The yacht with the least score is the winner.

Steffi Pereira / Unsplash

International Rating System (IRC)

Another leading rating system is the International Rating System (IRC) . It now issues certificates in over 60 countries of the world . The owners and curators in the UK and France are the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and l’Union Nationale de la Course au Large (UNCL) respectively. The distinct feature of this rating is that the organization does not set particular rules so that yacht designers could not adjust the characteristics accordingly. With that said, the measurement may be performed in the authorized IRC centres only. An indicator is calculated for each boat, based on which the resulting time in a race is corrected — TCC (Time Corrector). To that end, the boat’s measurements, such as its length, weight, draft, sail area and other characteristics are used. The higher the TCC is, the higher the potential boat speed is. After the race, the boat’s elapsed time is multiplied by a coefficient. The crew with the least final corrected time is the winner.

The IRC Certificate allows one to take part in the competitions, which are:

• Held according to the IRC measurement only : Rolex Fastnet Race, Rolex China Sea Race and Phuket King’s Cup Regatta.
• Most large-scale regattas which include several IRC divisions (IRC 0, IRC 1, IRC 2, etc.), uniting yachts with a similar TCC. In this case, the winners and prize-holders of each divisions and holders of the best results in the overall standings (IRC Overall) are awarded.

Each organizer is entitled to set their own rules for IRC divisions competitors. For example, the Copa del Rey Notice of Race also has separate rules for the IRC division:

• Boats with a valid 2018 IRC endorsed certificate , shall comply the following requirements: a) boats with TCC ≥1.240 and b) HF (Hull Factor): ≥ 8,5c) Dlr (Displacement-length ratio): ≤185.
• Under the criteria of the Organizing Committee and according to the number of entries, this group may be divided in two classes with an approximate cut at TCC 1.420.

This means that if more applications with different TCC are submitted, the entire group will be divided into two subgroups with the second of them including yachts with TCC higher than 1.420 as per the IRC certificate. Another example is the Rolex Fastnet Race. The regatta uses several ratings: IRC, ORC Club and MOCRA. On the regatta’s website you can separately download IRC rules , along with the regatta’s Notice of Race.

The following list shows the rules of group division based on TCC range:

• IRC Zero: 1.275 and greater
• IRC One: 1.101 — 1.274
• IRC Two: 1.051 — 1.100
• IRC Three: 1.004 — 1.050
• IRC Four: 0.850 — 1.003

The popular British regatta J.P.M. Round the Island Race includes four IRC groups, with each of them being broken down into several more with alphabetical designations. Also, there are many IRC-group participants in the following regattas: Rolex Giraglia Cup, Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, Rolex Middle Sea Race and Rorc Carribean 600, and others.

Thom Milkovic / Unsplash

Multihull Offshore Cruising & Racing Association (MOCRA)

The Multihull Offshore Cruising & Racing Association (MOCRA) has been specifically created for multihull vessels. It allows to correct the time for catamarans and trimarans of various forms and sizes. Among the regattas using this rating are RORC Fastnet Race, Cowes Week, Plymouth Regatta, JPM Round the Island Race and RORC Carribean 600. This rating is most common for the regattas of the UK, MOCRA’s home country. The certificate includes the following information: measurement based on SI (International System Units) system or any other international certificate; coefficient calculation of TCF (Time Correction Factor). For instance, in the above mentioned Fastnet Race the following characteristics are mentioned for the MOCRA division: Multihull (MOCRA): 1.100 and greater TCF range.

Another example is the J.P.M. Round the Island Race which is also held in the UK. The regatta includes divisions which are assessed according to several ratings (IRC, ISCRS, MOCRA). In 2019 two Multihull Gran Prix and MOCRA divisions were announced with 14 applications in each of them: up to 9,15 metres long and from 9,15 metres and higher. The final results table always includes open information about every participant and the time, so that anyone who so wishes could recalculate the results using the formula: vessel name, its series number, coefficient (TCF), finish time, elapsed time, corrected time and final standing as of end of the day or regatta.

Rating systems have come a long way to get to the present-day models of measurement and time correction. Among today’s most popular rating systems are ORC, IRC for monohull vessels and MOCRA for multihull ones.

To be included in a division whose results are measured based on handicap and rating systems, one should have the vessel measured in advance and obtain a certificate. Based on that document and the rules set by the regatta’s organizers, the vessel will be included in the respective group (IRC, ORC) and subgroup (IRC 0, IRC 1 and so on).

In case any parts of the hull, sails and rigging change, the certificate is to be renewed, too.  

This post was originally published in the Windy.app on July 27, 2019.

Text: Windy.app team

Cover photo: Alina Pkhakadze / Unsplash

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Understanding Yacht Ratings: What’s the difference between ORCi and IRC?

Let’s debunk the myths and get our heads around the fundamental differences..

Yacht racing, a sport of endurance and strategy, is not just about the fastest boat crossing the finish line. It’s about ensuring a level playing field where boats of different designs, sizes and budgets can compete fairly. This is where yacht ratings come into play. But how do these ratings work? And what are the differences between the prominent ORCi and IRC systems?

The Essence of Yacht Ratings

At its core, a yacht rating is a numerical representation of a boat’s potential speed. It takes into account various factors, from the yacht’s weight and sail area to its hull shape and design. By assigning a rating to each yacht, race organisers can adjust finishing times, ensuring that races are competitive regardless of the boat’s size or design. Think of it as a handicap system in golf; it levels the playing field.

ORCi: A Glimpse into its History and Rules

The Offshore Racing Congress International (ORCi) is a globally recognised rating system. Born from the merger of the IMS (International Measurement System) and the IOR (International Offshore Rule), ORCi has a rich history that traces back to the 1970s.

ORCi’s strength lies in its detailed measurement process. Every aspect of the yacht, from its hull and appendages to its rig and sails, is meticulously measured. These measurements are then fed into the ORCi’s Velocity Prediction Program (VPP), which predicts the yacht’s performance across a range of wind conditions and angles.

The publicly available rules of ORCi are continually evolving, reflecting advancements in yacht design and technology. This ensures that the system remains relevant and fair for all competitors.

IRC: Delving into its Legacy and Regulations

The International Rating Certificate (IRC) is another dominant force in the world of yacht racing. Originating in France in the 1980s as the Channel Handicap System, it was later adopted by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and the Union Nationale pour la Course au Large (UNCL) to become the IRC we know today.

Unlike ORCi, which is measurement-driven, IRC is more of a ‘black box’ system. Yachts are assigned a rating based on measurements as well as other undisclosed factors. The exact formula used by the IRC is a closely guarded secret, ensuring that yacht designers and owners focus on creating well-rounded boats rather than optimising for a known formula.

The IRC system is praised for its simplicity and the diversity of its fleet. It’s not uncommon to see vintage yachts racing alongside modern designs in IRC-rated events.

ORCi vs. IRC: A Quick Glance

Transparency.

ORCi is detailed and transparent in its measurement process, using the VPP to predict performance. Conversely, IRC keeps its formula under wraps, leading to its ‘black box’ reputation.

Both systems have evolved over the years, but ORCi’s rules are more dynamic, frequently adapting to technological advancements in yacht design.

Both systems benefit from global recognition, with ORCi being most prevalent in European regattas and IRC still favoured in the UK and the global offshore circuit.

Is there a truly fair rating system?

In my opinion, yacht ratings are the unsung heroes of competitive sailing, ensuring fairness and excitement in races – although ask any sailor who has under-performed at a handicapped event and they’ll definitely tell you that their poor performance was the fault of the rating system!

While ORCi and IRC have distinct histories and methodologies, both play a pivotal role in shaping the world of yacht racing. Whether you’re a sailor, a designer, or a spectator, understanding these systems enriches the racing experience, making every race not just a test of speed, but of strategy, design, and most importantly crew skill.

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IRC is a rating rule to handicap different designs of keelboats allowing them to race together. Each boat’s rating (her ‘handicap’) is calculated using measurements of the boat; her length, weight, draft, sail area, etc. The resulting time corrector, the boat’s ‘TCC’, is her handicap. After a race, each boat’s elapsed time (the time she has taken to complete the course) is multiplied by her TCC to calculate her corrected time (her race time making allowance for the characteristics of the boat). The boat with the shortest corrected time is the winner of the race.

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Following the international IRC annual Congress meeting in October, the 2023 IRC rule text is now published on the IRC website and includes changes that reflect IRC’s desire to listen to what sailors want, simplify rules where possible and respond to changing trends not only in technical development but also racing practices.

The IRC Technical Committee and IRC Congress have shown their commitment to reducing costs for sailors and recognising the varied range of course types in which IRC boats race by introducing a secondary certificate. Any owner will now be able to apply for a second valid certificate for their boat, previously an option only available to those swapping between fully crewed or short-handed racing (rule 8.2.1). The secondary certificate incorporates the former short-handed certificate and allows more configuration changes, with potential applications being inshore/offshore; shorthanded/crewed; racing/cruising sails; or even a specific configuration for a single event.

In the interest of simplification and consistency, the wording relating to adjustment of rigging while racing (rule 21.1.6) now refers to ‘aft rigging’ instead of ‘running backstays, checkstays or adjustable backstay’, with no change to rating effects; and stored power now refers to ‘aft rigging only’ rather than ‘backstay only’ (rule 15.2).

The responsibility of rating rules to support sustainable practices and maximise the competitive lifespan of boats at the same time as encouraging initiatives and technical development is always on the IRC agenda. The 2023 formulation changes include an extension of age allowance beyond 20 years, giving a small amount of additional credit to those boats built before the turn of the millennium.

There will also be a review of the rating of IRC Flying Headsails to increase their attraction as a rating option, while not moving them into the realms of being seen as a requirement to be competitive. Alongside this, with a year’s notice, the number of headsails carried aboard will be rated from 2024; more details of this will be published during 2023.

The IRC Technical Committee are keen to increase transparency relating to rated inputs, and with this in mind the new IRC certificate will include a second page showing a basic drawing including the rated data, rig details and appendages to help owners and competitors to easily see the rated configuration of the boat.

The 2023 IRC rule applies from 1st January 2023, except in countries with June-May validity where the rule will apply from 1st June 2023.

2023 IRC Rule text and more information about rule changes:  ircrating.org/irc-rule .

Full IRC Congress 2022 Minutes and other associated documents:  ircrating.org/about/irc-congress .

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Second hand boats: How to buy an IRC winner

• Rupert Holmes
• August 29, 2022

If you’re buying a second-hand racing yacht, how do you ensure you’ll be competitive? Rupert Holmes analyses what to look for when buying a used yacht for serious IRC racing fun

If you want to participate in racing in the UK and much of the rest of the big sailing nations, you really need to look to IRC unless you are specifically looking for class racing. For many of us buying a new yacht is beyond our means, so what are the best second hand yacht options top get an IRC winner?

A big factor in the success of classes as diverse as the former Fast 40 fleet and Quarter Tonners is that IRC is proven to be an extremely equitable rating system when used for boats of a similar style.

There are also plenty of examples of older designs – such as J/105s – notching up significant successes offshore, particularly in double-handed classes , while in last year’s Rolex Fastnet Race , an X-332 (designed in 1994) won Division 4. Equally, Ross Appleby’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster has an enviable long-term record and was 3rd overall in last year’s RORC Season’s Points.

But what makes a good choice for inshore IRC racing? To some extent the high end of this arm of the sport is increasingly dominated by lightweight asymmetric planing designs. However, other well prepared and well sailed boats have also demonstrated they are still competitive. They include Lena Having’s Corby 33 Mrs Freckles , which won class at this year’s RORC Easter Challenge.

Quarter Tonners are still a force to be reckoned with under IRC, here at the RORC Vice Admiral’s. Photo: Paul Wyeth/RORC

Well-optimised

So what should you look for when considering a second-hand boat , especially for an inshore dominated IRC-based programme? Ian Atkins was in that position at the end of last season, when he bought Peter Morton’s Fast 40 Jean Genie , now renamed Dark N Stormy .

“We had identified the former Fast 40 boats as already being very competitive on IRC,” he told me. “ Jean Genie is a boat we admired from afar last year, when we were racing an IC37.” Atkins was particularly impressed by the boat’s performance in light and moderate conditions, which he says is equal to Ràn Vll , Niklas Zennström’s Carkeek 40 that was launched to much acclaim in 2018.

The boat started life as a Spanish-built GP42 in 2009 that raced successfully on the Mediterranean circuit. Later she was optimised for the Solent Fast 40 class, with updates including a new keel, and raced as Zephyr for a couple of seasons. Morton then undertook a big refit, including a new deck, repositioning the pedestal to the back of the cockpit, and a comprehensive sail wardrobe.

old and new, symmetric and asymmetric designs racing at the RORC Easter Challenge under IRC. Photo: Paul Wyeth

“It was very well set up, with little for us to do last winter,” says Atkins.

Morton had several notable successes with the boat in 2021, including second place in the IRC Nationals, just one point behind Ràn , and a class win in Cowes Week, where he also lifted two of the regatta’s most prestigious and historic trophies, the Britannia Cup and New York Yacht Club Challenge Cup. His only reason for selling was to focus on a 5.5 Metre world championship campaign.

Article continues below…

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With new build waiting lists growing at an unprecedented rate, buyers are turning to the second hand boat market to…

What advice would Atkins give to anyone contemplating a similar campaign? “Start with the history of the boat and the modifications,” he says, “including comparing the IRC rating and key measurements to similar boats.”

It’s also fundamental to understand the price point, even though this can be difficult to assess on such high-end boats. This includes the sail inventory, which can represent a significant proportion of a boat’s second-hand value. With a smaller and less complex boat you might be able to assess this yourself, but it’s a different matter at this level of racing and Atkins had North Sails confirm the condition of the sails, and that there were no gaps in the inventory.

Khumbu (ex 42 South) is a very well prepared Reichel/Pugh 42 from 2007 in a similar mould to Jean Genie/Dark N Stormy. Photo: Paul Wyeth

At the time of writing, Atkins has notched up an impressive series of overall victories in 2022, including against a mixed fleet including Cape 31s and J/111s in the Warsash Spring Series and in Class One at the RORC Easter Challenge regatta, which he says “was an important result for us against similar boats.”

He adds: “Although it was a small fleet, we had four really well sailed boats with very close racing and small rating differences. We won one race by one second, another we were runners-up by two seconds – it felt just like one design racing. The learning curve for us was very steep, but it proved there’s still good life in older raceboats that have been well looked after – I don’t think there’s any reason to worry about their age.”

Mixed dozen

Atkins is also the force behind an initiative to provide a new circuit for similar boats, with a new Grand Prix Zero class. This is intended to provide very close racing for a swathe of fast, lightweight designs, from IC37s to TP52 s, with IRC ratings from 1.192 to 1.394 and displacement/length ratio less than 105.

He has identified more than a dozen suitable boats in the Solent area alone. The class’s first official outing was at RORC’s Vice Admirals’ Cup in late May, with 12 boats showing strong interest in racing with the class this season.

Close fast racing for the HP30 class at the RORC Vice Admiral’s Cup. Photo: James Tomlinson/RORC

Pocket rockets

For a more Corinthian-oriented campaign, it’s worth considering the HP30 class. This high performance fleet of mostly 28-30ft boats has now been firmly established for several years and is expecting a fleet of 14 boats for key events this year, including the Nationals, Round The Island Race and Cowes Week.

Although a lot smaller, these boats still provide a giant dose of adrenaline in a big breeze and tantalisingly close racing in any weather. The class rule specifies asymmetric spinnakers and displacement/length ratio less than 120 (raised to 125 for pre-2016 boats) and IRC rating between 1.050 and 1.140.

A wide range of designs has been successful over the years, but class founder Joe Hall says it has now mostly split into Farr 280s and Far East 28Rs, plus a few older boats including a McConaghy 31, J/90 and Lutra 30.

Numerically the Far East 28R is the most popular, partly because more than 500 have been built and there are therefore plenty on the second-hand market, where prices start at just £33,500 including VAT.

On the other hand, only 13 Farr 280s were ever built and, with five already in the fleet, there are limited options for sourcing others. This invariably means buying a boat located overseas, although they are light enough to be towed on a road trailer.

Hall cautions against opting for a boat that’s too old, saying that the recent designs are “easy plug-and-play boats that are already set up with asymmetric spinnakers.” He also points out they are very robust, thanks to vacuum infused foam core construction, which is intrinsically more reliable than with balsa cores and more traditional glassfibre layup.

“Whatever the superficial condition of a Farr 280, for example,” he adds, “we know from experience that it can be brought back to a good racing condition with only a few days of work.”

The JPK 1180 Sunrise starting the Rolex Fastnet Race 2021 off Cowes

Inshore and offshore

While there are some offshore optimised boats that fit the Grand Prix Zero format, notably RORC Commodore James Neville’s HH42 Ino XXX , most are configured only for inshore racing. For those wanting a boat to race in a mix of inshore and offshore events, the Performance 40 class makes a lot of sense. This includes designs such as J/111s, J/122s and J/121s, Grand Soleil 43, Farr 40s, King 40s, JPK 1180s and so on. When well set up and sailed all of these are proven to excel under IRC.

Key criteria for the Performance 40 class includes an IRC rating between 1.070-1.145 and displacement/length ratio of 125-205. This makes these boats fundamentally heavier than both the Grand Prix Zero and HP30 classes, which allows for a degree of comfortable accommodation for use offshore, or as a dual purpose boat for fast cruising as well. The class’s rule again assures very close racing at all of the seven regattas in this year’s programme. Overall winners in the past few years include a MAT 12, Mills 39, J/122 and King 40.

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Maxi Racing to the Max

• By Kimball Livingston
• February 21, 2023

Maxi racing in the Med is hot. Call it a lesson in the value of getting your act together. The game has grown and changed dramatically—and deliberately—with fleets of 50 as the new normal. Ten years ago, none of this was ensured. The secretary general of the International Maxi Association, Andrew McIrvine, tells us, “Rapid change was needed, or it was going to just die.”

How it didn’t “just die” is a story worth telling, and we lean on McIrvine for that. “The International Maxi Association was originally a social club for the owners of 80-footers. That generation was going out as I was invited in,” he says. “The racing had categories that were impossible to define, so people were always gaming it. What’s a racer-cruiser versus a cruiser-racer? And could we ever have effective class splits based on hull length?”

The answer to that, as proven, is no he says. “The categories are now performance-defined, using a single-number IRC rule that includes an accurate weight measurement, not a calculated weight. We photograph the interiors so we know who’s stripping them out. The database includes 155 boats, and it has checks on people who fly too close to the rules. That gives other people the confidence to come out and race.”

The 2023 Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge offers a series of six events, wrapping up in August with the Palermo-Montecarlo Race. That’s 500 miles from Sicily to the Champagne at Yacht Club de Monaco—not to forget the fly-through gate at Porto Cervo along the way and the option of leaving Corsica to port or to starboard. It’s a sporty race in a sporty calendar.

“I truly believe the IMA has made a difference. We’ve attracted a new, younger membership. We’ve added events, and the compass has expanded from the Med to the Caribbean . Whereas we used to have a big mini-maxi contingent and not many boats 80 to 100 feet, in 2022 we suddenly had 12 of the 80- to 100-foot maxis racing, and racing on proper terms. At least two of the current owners are building new boats, which I believe is the sign of a healthy class.

“Then there are the Maxi 72s that have all been modified outside the box they were designed for, but they still race together. They’re more optimized than the other boats, so no one outside their group wants to race against them—they’re a threat—but we can usually give them their own sandbox to play in.”’

And what of the Wallys that seems to have disappeared?

“We gave that up. Wallys come in different sizes, different speeds. I can’t think of a single case of twin Wallys. Now they’ve rejoined according to their ratings, and I think, frankly, the Wally era is over. Luca Bassani’s success with Wallys is such that all designers have copied his concept. When he started, big race boats were neither ergonomic nor pretty, and the decks were bristling with winches. If you go aboard any boat now, it looks like a Wally.

“You could also go the way of Rambler and Comanche, where you pay more and more money to be more and more uncomfortable. Down below, you’re sitting in a carbon-black hole (black because paint adds weight) beside an engine that runs to power the canting keel and the winches. On deck—and it’s true with the Maxi 72s—you find they are exhausting boats to sail because they’re fast upwind at steep angles only. They’re on the edges of the hull to keep the wetted surface to a minimum. The hulls are so wide at the stern, all the crew is hiked hard at the aft end of the boat. And then, in a tack, you’re going from 45 degrees to 45 degrees, and if you don’t get it right running across the deck, you’re in trouble. On a clean deck, there’s nothing to grab on to.”

Placing itself somewhere in between the extremes of the grand-prix set and the ­leaning cruisers, Nautor has a new ClubSwan 80 it’s touting as a one-design class. Loro Piana brought Hull No. 1 to the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup last year at Porto Cervo, and the boat performed well. Weighing the odds of developing a successful one-design, it’s worth remembering that the ClubSwan 50 had its skeptics, who were proven wrong. But the 80 is a take-no-prisoners statement. It’s a major turn for a company whose classic racing events feature boats with furniture. Now we’re talking all carbon with a canting keel, a tacking daggerboard, push-button controls, twin rudders, design by Juan K, and construction in Italy by Persico—very fashion-forward. I’m sure you had a look at that boat.

“It’s a fascinating project, and it looks extreme, but it has, theoretically, cruising potential,” McIrvine says. “Inside, it’s all black carbon—artfully crafted—accented with strips of mahogany veneer. No furniture, but you have the option of adding interior modules for cruising. And we shouldn’t overlook the carbon-fiber bidet in the owner’s head.”

Clearly, Nautor thinks the IMA has a good thing going, and it wants a bigger piece of it. Beyond rational class definitions, one very important thing is resonating, McIrvine says. The owners are driving.

“Our rule is critical, and we are strict about imposing it, with rest breaks allowed,” he says. “Generally, it takes a lifetime to amass the wealth to race a big boat. By the end of a day race, most owners are exhausted. Which is not to say that amateur drivers are on their own. An astonishing number of names you know show up to whisper, ‘A little higher, sir, a little lower.’ That keeps the standards high, and it’s a reminder that being a pro sailor is a dodgy profession. There are only 10 TP52s in the Med, for example, only nine SailGP teams in the world and five America’s Cup teams. However, we don’t restrict driving in the superyacht group at all.”

The other boat debuting at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup was FlyingNikka , which raised the concern of foiling monohulls threatening the order. “ Nikka showed that she can sail in the fleet safely, so at St. Tropez we put her in a class where her rating was absurd. The boat would do 35 knots in the right conditions, but they couldn’t keep her on foils going upwind. Tacks were agonizingly slow. What Roberto Lacorte is looking for is line honors in longer races.”

The venues where maxis can and now gather are also a draw. The Caribbean was the inevitable expansion opportunity beyond the Med, where it’s obvious that people like to go to St. Tropez, Capri, Sorrento, Giraglia and so on. Neither coast of the United States can accommodate such a fleet.

“Water depth is a huge challenge for race committees,” McIrvine says. “A lot of the Bay of Naples is 1,200 to 1,500 feet deep. Off St. Tropez it’s much, much deeper. We’re using MarkSetBot, which is promising. It’s not 100 percent reliable, but an upside beyond remote control is that you can’t wrap your keel around an anchor line because there is no anchor line [on a GPS‑directed robot mark].

“Our people are selective about where they choose to race. One owner told me it costs him $750,000 to take his boat, team and containers to Porto Cervo for five days. No one wants to spend that kind of money on a badly run regatta, so it’s a conservative bunch.

“The IMA has a small board of directors backed up by a dynamic, insightful team. IMA costs are supported by membership subscription except for Rolex, which has been fantastic. When I started with the IMA, the Rolex people told me, ‘We’ve been giving you money, but your people just put it in the bank.’ I said, ‘I’m sure I can fix that,’ and I have. There is a lot of travel now, a much more glam yearbook, a lot of publicity. About half the boats racing last year were flying the IMA flag.”

So, everything is coming up roses? “There are still supply-chain issues around securing building materials. Outside of maxi racing, the 30- to 40-foot range is falling off a cliff, except for shorthanded distance racing. Looking ahead, we still don’t know if we are in a recession or a hiccup, but in previous recessions, maxi racing has gone on, looking good for two or three years longer than you might expect. Then the boats stay on the dock.”

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About the RORC Transatlantic Race

The RORC Transatlantic Race is an annual 2,995 nautical mile race across the Atlantic Ocean from east to west organised by The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) in association with the International Maxi Association (IMA) and the Yacht Club de France. The RORC Transatlantic Race is supported by: Calero Marinas, Lanzarote Tourist Board, Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada and the Grenada Tourism Authority.

The RORC Transatlantic Race 

Held since 2014 in its present form, the RORC Transatlantic Race is a non-stop, unassisted sailing race of 2995 nautical miles across the Atlantic Ocean. Starting from near Marina Lanzarote in The Canary Islands and finishing near Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina Grenada in The Caribbean.

Sailors and boats from all over the world compete including high performance multihulls and monohulls, classic yachts, performance cruisers, Two-Handed teams, and one-designs boats. The RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy is the overall prize for the best yacht after IRC time correction.

The IMA Transatlantic Trophy is awarded to the first Maxi Yacht to complete the race. The first Multihull is awarded the RORC Transatlantic Multihull Trophy. Class Prizes are also awarded including IRC Classes, Best Superyacht, and Best Classic Yacht.

The RORC Transatlantic Race fleet is highly diverse. Dependent on weather conditions, the fastest multihulls are expected to take between 5 or 6 days. The majority of the fleet will arrive in 12 and 14 days, with late finishers taking 17 days or more.

The RORC Transatlantic Race also acts as a feeder race for the RORC Caribbean 600 which starts from Antigua each February. The 600nm race around 11 islands, like the RORC Transatlantic Race is on the bucket list of any offshore racer.

RORC Transatlantic Race Records  

Multihull Record

05 days 05 hrs 46 mins 26 secs. 

2023 - Maserati Multi70 (Giovanni Soldini)

Monohull Record

07 days 22 hrs 01 mins 04 secs.

2022 – Comanche (Mitch Booth)

12 days 09 hrs 17 mins 29 secs

2021 – Palanad 3 (Olivier Magre)

RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy - Overall winner in IRC:

(NB: No race in 2020 due to Covid pandemic)

2023: Teasing Machine, NMD 54, Eric de Turckheim (FRA)

2022 : Comanche, Vplp/Verdier 100 Super Maxi, Skipper Mitch Booth (MON)

2021: Palanad, Class40, Olivier Magre (FRA)

2019: Janagda, JPK 10.10, Richard Palmer (GBR) – first Two-Handed winner (with jeremy Waitt)

2018: Kuka, Cookson 50, Franco Niggeler (SUI)

2017: Teasing Machine, NMD 54, Eric de Turckheim (FRA)

2016: Aragon, Marten 72, Arco Van Nieuwland/Andries Verder (NED)

2015: Nomad IV, Jean-Paul Riviere, Finot-Conq 100 (FRA)

2014: Lupa of London, RP78, Skipper Daniel Stump (GBR)

IMA Transatlantic Trophy - Line honours monohull winner:

2023: I Love Poland, Volvo 70, Skipper Grzegorz Baranowski (POL)

2021: Green Dragon , Volvo 70, Johannes Schwarz (NED)

2019: Childhood 1, VO65, Skipper Bouwe Bekking (SWE)

2018: My Song, Baltic 130 Super Maxi, Pier Luigi Loro Piana (ITA)

2017: Maxi CQS, Ludde Ingvall (AUS)

2016: Leopard 3, Farr 100, Mike Slade (GBR)

2015: Nomad IV, Finot-Conq 100, Jean-Paul Riviere (FRA)

  The Royal Ocean Racing Club

Established in 1925, The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) is best known for the biennial Fastnet Race and the international team event, the Admiral's Cup. RORC organises an annual series of offshore races from its base in Cowes as well as inshore regattas in the Solent.

The RORC works with other yacht clubs to promote their offshore races and provides marketing and organisational support. With the first race in 2009, the RORC Caribbean 600, based in Antigua and the first offshore race in the Caribbean, has been an instant success. The RORC extended its organisational expertise by creating the RORC Transatlantic Race from Lanzarote to Grenada, the first of which was in November 2014. The Roschier Baltic Sea Race was established in 2022, starting and finishing in Helsinki, Finland.

The RORC has 4,000 members and a clubhouse based in St James' Place, London. After a merger with The Royal Corinthian Yacht Club in Cowes it now boasts a superb clubhouse facility at the entrance to Cowes Harbour

RORC website: www.rorc.org  

The RORC has also been a leader in yacht rating systems and in co-operation with the French offshore racing club, UNCL, YCF Race Pole created the International Rating Certificate - IRC. IRC is a World Sailing recognised rating system and the principal yacht measurement system for the rating of racing yachts worldwide.

The IRC rating rule is administered jointly by the RORC Rating Office in Lymington, UK and UNCL, YCF Race Pole in Paris, France. The RORC Rating Office is the technical hub of the Royal Ocean Racing Club and recognised globally as a centre of excellence for measurement.

For IRC rating information in the UK : www.rorcrating.com

For IRC rating globally www.ircrating.org

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Rán wins 2022 IRC Nationals by 0.005 of a point

An outstanding long weekend of yacht racing, where the full program was sailed under brilliant sunshine in 10-20+ knot winds and a mix of tidal states on one of the world’s most challenging stretches of water – the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s 2022 IRC National Championship was a resounding success.

On the Solent, the fleet was divided into three classes with the fastest in IRC One being the Ker 46 Van Uden, skippered by Volvo Ocean Race veteran Gerd-Jan Poortman, while lowest rated in IRC Three was Kevin Downer’s modified Fun 23 Ziggy. All were in with a chance as witnessed in today’s marginally lighter 10-15 knots conditions. Van Uden won a race in IRC One, while at the opposite end of the fleet, the teenage Greig City Academy crew on the Quarter Tonner Cote, the second slowest boat in the fleet, impressed everyone by scoring their first race win of the series against substantially more experienced competition. There could not have been a better advertisement how a diverse fleet is turned into level playing by IRC, the RORC-UNCL run rating rule.

Oddly this year, each of the three classes individually had a stand-out winner, but ultimately it went to the wire for the overall prize. Niklas Zennström’s FAST40+ Rán nearly lost it when she posted a third in today’s first race, the only blemish on her otherwise perfect scoreline. However in IRC Three, Rán’s rival for the overall title, Adam Gosling’s JPK 10.80 Yes! scored a fourth in this same race. In the longer round the cans racing that concluded the event, both scored bullets. The calculation then used to determine the overall IRC National Championship winner resolved with the 2022 IRC National Championship title going to Rán by the tiniest amount – 0.005 of a point – from Yes!

“It is fantastic!” commented Zennström. “We’ve won our class before [at this event] but never overall. We had an amazing weekend so we are very pleased. It was fantastic sailing with good wind and good weather and also really good race management – we have nothing to complain about at all.” The Skype founder was also enthusiastic about the new Grand Prix Zero class that encompassed all of the entrants competing in IRC One. “It has been really cool to have the other boats – the 43 and 46, etc – mixing it up. It works very well – with a few more boats, you get a critical mass on the start line.”

Rán ended the regatta nine points clear of Ian Atkins’ second placed GP42 Dark N Stormy, in turn seven ahead of the Dutch young team on Van Uden. While the Rán team has competed at the highest level in the Maxi 72s, TP52s and FAST40+, with old hands including Zennström, Tim Powell, Steve Hayles and Justin Slattery on board, it is otherwise a mix of young up-and-coming male and female sailing talent.

For example 30-year-old British Match Racing Champion Mark Lees calls tactics. “The boat is very good, but the team is the best I have been involved with. Niklas and Catherine [Zennström] have been fantastic supporting young sailors and female sailors. The old guard are brilliant – they have sailed together for years and are super experienced. They have been fantastic with us. We race hard, but there is a very good culture on board. I learn every day.”

“This is our first race win, so I am more than chuffed,” said Cooper, who raced the IRC Nationals last year on his J/112e. “We’ve found in the Cape 31s that crew training is critical as the big losses are from making bad manoeuvres. Here we’ve had no pace issues. We had some fantastically tight mark roundings, but everyone got away cleanly. The Capes have been doing nicely under IRC. We are not so strong upwind but we win on the downwinds, so it balances itself out.”

Fanatic also has a fine crew including Class40 sailor Jack Trigger and brain box Tom Cheney, one of the architects behind the success of Tom Kneen’s 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race and RORC Season’s Points Championship winner Sunrise.

“It was good to be in the mix more and find some consistency, so we are very pleased,” said Cheney, a software engineer for Ben Ainslie’s INEOS Britannia America’s Cup challenge. “It was a busy race track and IRC Two in particular is hard because there is real mix of boats from fast planning 31 footers to the heavier displacement, symmetric 40s. In the medium breeze, when they are poled back and going straight to the leeward mark, we can’t touch them and it makes our strategy downwind hard, but it demonstrates how good the IRC rule is, with such different boats racing against each other and everyone able to have a good result.”

Former RORC Commodore and Admiral Andrew McIrvine’s Ker 39 La Réponse squeezed into fifth place in IRC Two, winning on countback from the Blair family’s King 40 Cobra.

Adam Gosling and the crew of JPK 1080 Yes! won IRC Three by seven points from John Smart’s J/109 Jukebox, in turn four in front of James Chalmers’ J/112e Happy Daize. Having lost the overall title (which Gosling previous jointly won on this same boat in 2016), they were gracious in defeat: “Rán sailed a really great regatta and they completely deserved to win,” said Gosling. “You only have to watch how they sail the boat. It is a master class….” As to his Yes! team’s performance he added: “It is the first time we have been back on a sail boat since Cowes Week last year. We were supposed to have done some training weekends but the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations won out instead! Given how many different boats won different races the IRC rule is working pretty well. And the fact that the Cape 31s can race competitively – when did we last have a one design class that is competitive under IRC?”

Full results can be found here:  http://www.rorc.org/racing/race-results/2022-results

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470 World Championship – Xammar and Brugman reign in Spain

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America’s Cup: Changing gear

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Offshore legend

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Charles Caudrelier wins inaugural Ultim solo around the world race

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Victory on home waters marks first Australian win of SailGP Season 4

Tom Slingsby and his Australian crew have been crowned champions of the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix | Sydney, flying home in front of an

SailGP: Danes and Australians top the leaderboard on opening day in Sydney

Tom Slingsby and his Australian crew have delivered for the home crowd at the opener of the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix, securing a solid

Ten teams ready to race in Sydney

With just one day remaining until the highly awaited KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix takes place on the picturesque waters of Sydney Harbour, anticipation builds

Storm Louis delays Caudrelier’s victory parade

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Sustainable future

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An intriguing new chapter in the 470’s Olympic history

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Clarisse Crémer refutes Vendée Globe cheating accusations

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Upwind by MerConcept female high-performance multihull racing program launched

MerConcept, the high-performance hub for offshore sailing and sustainable technologies based in Concarneau, France, has announced the launch of its brand-new racing program to provide

German city Kiel to host 2025 start of The Ocean Race Europe

The organisers of The Ocean Race have confirmed Kiel.Sailing.City as the host of the start of The Ocean Race Europe during a press conference in

Elan Yachts – A speedster for all seasons

Elan Yachts made a big splash two years ago with its GT6 performance cruiser. Soon there will be a new version optimised for ocean cruising. If

Olympic places at stake at 470 World Championship on Palma Bay

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Cup Insider – LiDAR in the America’s Cup

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Caudrelier leads Arkea Ultim Challenge fleet around Cape Horn

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Beautiful design and masterful construction

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A record breaking life

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Cammas on Caudrelier Arkea Ultim Challenge performance…

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Gunboat 80 – Rewriting the playbook

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Italian ocean racer Soldini swaps his Trident for a Prancing Horse

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Mixed fortunes befall the Ultim solo around-the-world skippers

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31 IMOCA solo skippers registered for New York Vendée – Les Sables d’Olonne race

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Arkea Ultim Challenge – Caudrelier scorches across Indian Ocean

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Arkea Ultim Challenge – Laperche in safety mode as Caudrelier sets blistering pace

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SailGP: New Zealand closes in on top spot after ultra light airs victory in Abu Dhabi

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Home  News  Applications Open for the 2024 Youth Match Racing Championship for the Rose Cup

Applications Open for the 2024 Youth Match Racing Championship for the Rose Cup

The Rose Cup is an invitational event open to sailors who have reached their 16th birthday but not their 21st birthday during the calendar year in which the event is held (i.e., must be born between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2008). The Championship features world-class coaching and serves as an outstanding training ground for young sailors who are passionate about match racing and focused on competing at the next level.

“We are very pleased to see the competitive group of applicants we have received to date and welcome additional applications for everyone interested,” said Ryan Davidson, USYMRC Committee Chair. “This years event at Corinthian Yacht Club is not one you will want to miss!”

Applications submitted by April 1 will receive preference. Request an invitation here:  https://form.jotform.com/240095124431143 . Competitors are asked to provide their top three match and fleet racing accomplishments over the past three years, and to write briefly about their experience racing on a 3-4 person keelboat.

Teams consist of crews of four, with at least one male and one female and a maximum crew weight of 660 pounds. Teams may be composed of members from different yacht clubs or sailing associations.

The Rose Cup started as an invitational youth match racing event in 2010. It was founded by members of Balboa Yacht Club in Newport Beach, California, and the Newport-Balboa Sailing & Seamanship Association. Its mission is to assist in the promotion of youth match racing in the United States and improve the quality of US competitors in national and international competition.

Thanks primarily to the efforts of US Sailing Match Racing Committee Vice-Chair and five-time US Match Racing Champion, Dave Perry, US Sailing made the event one of its three match racing championships, and it officially became the U.S. Youth Match Racing Championship in 2015.

Learn more about the championship: https://www.ussailing.org/competition/championships/2024-u-s-youth-match-racing-championship/

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