IRC Yearbook 2009

IRC YEARBOOK 2009
GLOBAL SNAPSHOT
Reports from some of the newest recruits to the IRC Rule around the world
NEW ZEALAND Martin Hannon, Yachting New Zealand
New Zealand has been involved in IRC
since 2002 with the ﬁrst boats being
certiﬁed under the rating system so that
they could go overseas to Australia to
compete in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race
and also Hamilton Island Race week. At this
time New Zealand was still operating the
ORC Club system, whereas Australia had
adopted the IRC system much earlier.
In 2002, Starlight Express (Davidson 55)
went to Australia coming ﬁrst on IRC in the
Sydney to Hobart, unfortunately it was the
last year of IMS deciding the overall
silverware for this blue water classic. Since
then the numbers of boats applying for an
IRC certiﬁcate in New Zealand has
increased with the IRC being fully adopted
by Yachting New Zealand in 2006.
Yachting New Zealand took the
GERMANY Gero Brugmann advantageous approach when adopting
IRC to only allow fully endorsed IRC
IRC and Germany seemed opposed for a Atlantic Challenge and the 2007 HSH
certiﬁcates. IRC ﬂeets developed around
long time. Promotion of events was ORC-C/ Nordbank Blue Race lead an international,
New Zealand, Auckland, Wellington, Bay
IMS driven, the latter now being replaced whilst predominantly German, ﬂeet from the
of Islands, Tauranga and most recently
by ORC international. Such events USA to Hamburg, and offered the ﬁrst
Lyttleton in the South Island. By only
developed a tendency towards up-and- combinations of racing into German waters
allowing fully endorsed certiﬁcates a
down courses and continual shortening of with the necessary IRC rating to attract
network of IRC measurers were trained in
longer distances, predominantly in higher- an international ﬂeet.
these various sailing centres to aid owners
level events. This is welcomed by those While sailing under the ORC rating
in measuring their yachts and maintaining
who prefer sailing on laid courses, but systems has its ﬁxed position in sailing
their certiﬁcates.
thereby moving rated sailing towards a events in German waters, IRC served as a
In 2008, an IRC owners association was
situation that is most efﬁciently used for tool to bring new and exciting designs into
formed under Yachting New Zealand with a
one-design and box rule sailing. German waters and initiated a discussion
mission, 'To promote quality racing under
Others felt that two things were largely that was helpful to steer event organisers
IRC rule throughout the country'. Thus to
being left behind: the will to invest into trail towards a broader choice of longer distance
increase the New Zealand IRC ﬂeet, bring
blazing offshore designs, and longer events, and to re-think the rating rule.
distance races that attract a different kind In IRC terms, the 2008 season’s peak
of love of adventure. was the Baltic Sprint Cup, leading 61 yachts
The solutions were fast cruiser/racers, over 710 miles to ports in ﬁve Baltic Sea
with more speed oriented hull forms, a deep countries. The race attracted 21 entries in
centre of gravity and larger sail areas, the IRC Division, 15 of which were German.
especially downwind. The quest for speed National events showed as many as 11
and seaworthiness was answered by IRC, entries in the IRC division.
where stability and its effect on boat speed IRC seems to add a new level to the
were seen to be more advantageously ﬂeet, enhancing its individualism and
rated. And the Rule’s undiscovered thereby offering opportunities previously
elements promise room for exploration by underdeveloped, with only marginally
designers to allow continuing development, cutting away from existing events, if at all.
while conservative series designs do not IRC racing in home waters also allows
seem to suffer substantially. German boats to prepare for popular
The German IRC playgrounds were and international events held by our western
are still missing, so the tendency for owners neighbours and in the Mediterranean; and it
to sail elsewhere in the Northern European is a necessity to offer training opportunities
waters or the Mediterranean was for teams that could follow the historical
increasing, even more so with airfares successes of German Admiral’s Cup and
dropping. The 2003 DaimlerChrysler North Commodores’ Cup teams.
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