Heading in the wrong direction?
IRC 2021 Rules and Definitions
IRC 2021 Rules and Definitions are available to download at
https://ircrating.org
And it’s not even a two-race day. As their 12 Metre sails out the Stars & Stripes tender also heads out to the course during their 1987 America’s Cup Match against Kookaburra. There were no restrictions on sail numbers in the 12s; the same was true of the IACC boats used in later Cups between 1992 and 2007. By 2007 the Cup winners Alinghi were limiting the useful life of their new black headsails to six hours of racing. Today’s offshore racing sails are capable of a full lap of the planet, as seen in recent Volvo races, while the sails on Vendée Imocas are light years from the clumsy and heavy sails of their predecessors. Yet in 2021 there are still generous limits on the size of IRC and ORC onboard inventories and no limits at all on how many ‘spares’ you can take to a regatta
As we hopefully… soon get back to racing again I am sure that many are looking back wistfully at the hustle and bustle on the pontoons prior to dock-out. One of the most visible activities at the dock on the morning of many high-profile events is the pile of sail bags moving on and off the decks, contemplating what the day and weather ahead offer. 21.1.5(d) states: ‘During a regatta run on consecutive days, including any lay days, the sails onboard shall remain the same and be onboard for all races. This rule may be amended by Notice of Race.’ The last sentence is frequently employed where event organisers change the rule to allow sail changes on a daily basis throughout a regatta. There are many valid reasons for this. However, is it now being applied too freely?
The purpose of this rule is pretty clear to most of us: turn up to a regatta with the set of sails that you want to use and keep them onboard throughout the event. This keeps the need for a trailer, truck or container full of sails, and an inventory for every
Seahorse Issue 486 £6.50 US$8.50
conceivable sail configuration, away from draining the owner’s bank account. Makes perfect sense. However, the counter argument is that it stops
you using sails that you may already have, that you decided to leave at home. You have to plan or the expected weather of the event, and you may get caught out. All part of the sport? It’s the same for everybody? Another argument is that it forces you to fill up
the interior with sails that you just ‘might’ need, that then end up most of the time in the bilge, getting wet, stamped on and degraded for no reason. Conversely, on the largest yachts and particularly the more cruising-oriented designs, the argument we most often hear is that the use of a smaller, more restricted wardrobe limits damage to the expensive interiors and allows the yacht’s accommodation to be used as accommodation rather than as a sail locker. Yet I see more and more events taking the approach of allowing sail changes on a daily basis.
Design
Just click here to claim your Seahorse HALF PRICE
Full Year Print Subscription International Rating Certificate DSS
goes Cableless
The creative talents of Infiniti Yachts and Doyle Sails – between them responsible for two of the biggest breakthroughs in modern performance yachting – have joined forces to produce something more than special
The Infiniti 52 is the first modern racing boat to be designed and engineered to take full advantage of Doyle Sails Cableless technology – built around a highly efficient, single transverse DSS foil, providing proven performance but without the cost of more complex class-driven foil solutions. The DSS foil provides significant righting moment which allows youtodesignthe boat fora
– reducing pitching and making the ride more comfortable and faster!’ When looking for gaps in the market, popular wisdom would suggest that 52ft is a little crowded in the performance sector, so you need to bring your A-game – something that redefines the genre. Traditionally 52ft has been a good size for both inshore racing and coastal/offshore racing. It is is big
GILLES MARTIN-RAGET
CARLO BORLENG
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120
