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Handicap Rating Rule Options for 2022

• By Gary Jobson
• February 8, 2022

The day was perfect for ­racing. With the wind out of the south at 15 knots, there was a spirited group of sailors striving to get their yachts to the finish line without leaving a second to spare on the racecourse. The course was a standard windward-leeward configuration, with 1.6-mile legs. After a below-average finish in the first race, our crew refocused and sailed exceptionally well for the next five races, achieving great starts, sailing on every favorable wind shift, and executing our boat handling with deft precision. We were doing everything we possibly could to ensure a corrected-time win.

But then, to our dismay, we watched our rivals round the final weather mark from well behind, set their spinnakers and jump on plane, cruising through our lee and sailing away, ­easily saving their time allowances and beating us on corrected time. Afterward, we analyzed every detail of every race, searching for ways to save even more time. Maybe we could have gained 20 seconds, but it never added up enough to make a difference. Eventually, it became clear to me that the handicap rating rule wasn’t working properly—certainly not for us, nor many other owners and teams that are becoming disheartened with the state of big-boat handicap ­racing.

This is, of course, not a new problem. The quest to assign fair handicap ratings to yachts of different shapes and sizes has been a challenge for more than a century. Looking back, a pattern seems to repeat every 20 years or so: A new rule emerges, designers and owners attempt to exploit every conceivable loophole, and inevitably the fleet dwindles as sailors become dissatisfied with the rule and walk away.

Big-boat handicap racing in North America is at a turning point once again. During my tenure at World Sailing , I was liaison to the Offshore and Oceanic Committee and the Offshore Racing Council. At US Sailing, I pushed the organization to improve its offshore regulatory operations. My perspectives, as a competitor and a board member, have always been aligned. In the United States, there is general dissatisfaction with our handicap rating rules, but what I have learned from current leaders about this situation is that help—and change—is on the way. To be successful, bold steps are in order.

Now, however, is not the time to create a new handicap rating rule. All the experts I’ve spoken to agree the preferred action is to improve the entry-level Performance Handicap Rating Factor system and work with the Offshore Racing Council, which manages ORC, to improve its rule for North American racing sailors. Creating a new handicap rule is an arduous process, and success is not a sure thing. There are many lessons from the past: In 1965, the Cruising Club of America and the Royal Ocean Racing Club collaborated on a new handicap rule for use in the Olympic Games. The Offshore Racing Council was formed to administer the new International Offshore Rule in 1969.

IOR was a vibrant rule because it was universally accepted and used internationally. In time, however, favor in IOR started to fade. Stan Honey, an authority on offshore racing and handicap systems, says American sailors became frustrated with the ORC in the 1980s for not fixing known problems with IOR. “ORC did not have the strength of character to maintain the IOR rule,” Honey says. “The technical committee was comprised of designers that had their own boats in build, so those guys didn’t want to change the rule to fix the problems.”

The IOR’s problem children—yachts with pinched ends—eventually killed the rule.

“The IOR would still be working if the ORC had fixed it,” Honey says, “but they didn’t. The boats got weird, and nobody liked them anymore.”

US yachtsmen then went and funded the development of the H. Irving Pratt Project and created a velocity prediction program (VPP) that became the Measurement Handicap Rule. The Pratt VPP is still the basis for handicapping rules in use today. The ORC used the basics of the MHS rule and created the International Measurement System, and soon enough, the same problems surfaced again.

“The ORC screwed it up again because it did not maintain it even though there was some great racing with the IMS rule,” Honey says. “When the loopholes got figured out, the technical committee did not fix the problems. So, the United States split off again, ­creating the Americap Rule and the Offshore Rating Rule.”

Today, several handicap ­rating rules are used in North America, including ORR, ORC, IRC (which is owned by the Royal Ocean Racing Club) and PHRF. That’s too many, and none are perfect.

Ed Cesare, chairman of New York YC’s Handicap Rating Rule and Measurement Committee, says the club used ORC broadly last summer for the first time and experienced a high level of disappointment from the fleet. “We received complaints about the quality and integrity of the certificates,” he says. “I am not at all comfortable that we are going to get to a good place with the ORC rule. They did a good job on marketing it, which led to unrealistic expectations about what the rule can do.”

Cesare and Larry Fox, representing the Storm Trysail Club, presented seven submissions via US Sailing to the ORC. The submissions asked to expand the wind range down to 4 knots; define the allowable use of unusual headsails (Code Zeros); and improve the way the VPP handles planing boats, adding more wind ranges from three groups to five. They also asked stability calculation questions, including a request to allow multiple standard ORC certificates at once for the same boat, and a request to examine the rated performance of unique boat types.

“All of [the submissions] were remanded to the technical ­committee,” he says.

The ORC’s response was the same when the United States was complaining about IOR and IMS in the 1980s and 1990s, Honey says. “It does not end well when you take that approach with American sailors.”

The ORC, he adds, needs to aggressively work to solve the problems and come up with a better rule, or at least a version of the rule that meets the needs of US sailors. “For 2022, the five wind-band scoring will help,” he says. “We think this will ameliorate the displacement-planing situation. It is in progress, and I hope the ORC will work with us.”

The United States has the third-highest number of ORC International certificates, so Cesare says his group will take action by putting yachts in appropriate classes. “The class breaks are going to be draconian,” he says. “If you have a 40-foot planing boat, you better get some of your friends to come or you are going to be ­racing by yourself.”

Dobbs Davis, chair of the ORC Promotion and Development Committee, has been championing the rule for many years. He is, of course, an enthusiastic supporter of the rule and says it works if the scoring is done properly. “Using ORC tools, we have multiple ways of scoring,” Davis says. “One of them is the wind triple-number system—low, medium and high [wind strength]. There are crossovers, which puts a burden on the race committee because they have to decide what is the low, medium or heavy wind. Basically, below 8 knots is low, 9 to 14 knots is medium, and above 14 knots is high.”

As far as dealing with the concerns of Cesare and Fox, Davis says the scoring works fine with planing boats—again, as long as the scoring is done properly. As to US Sailing’s other submissions, Davis says, race committees do need to establish accurate wind strengths to score boats correctly, but this is not easy. Some race committees will determine the wind strength before the race starts, and scoring with five wind ranges will make it worse. The ORC will not allow boats to have multiple certificates, he adds, “which would make it tough on our administrators. The ORC will not make estimates on stability. This is a safety issue.”

Matt Gallagher, an ORC member, past chair of the Chicago YC’s Race to Mackinac, and chair of US Sailing’s Offshore Racing Committee, says he’s committed to achieving two goals: “We want our members and racers to go offshore and do it with any rating rule our partner clubs choose to use, and then bring some stability to the rating rules and bring some focus back to PHRF. The base of the pyramid has been neglected for a while. We have to start growing that again.”

Gallagher is optimistic about the use of the ORC rule and says it’s one that needs attention and tweaking to make it more appropriate for the United States. “[The ORC is] going to have to pay more attention to us.”

Honey agrees: “PHRF should be cheap, cheerful and simple scoring,” he says. “People should understand that the most effective rating for their boat is in class scoring. Anything that changes a boat out of class scoring is going to be punished [with a higher handicap rating]. If you want to spend more money to perform better, put your money in new sails, coaches, a smooth bottom and stuff like that.”

As for the future, Honey has an interesting prediction: “A new rule will happen. The original VPP that came out of the Pratt Project is still the basis for the ORC. It is long in the tooth and old-fashioned. What is going to happen next is some graduate students are going to come up with some neural network-based rule. The timing will be just right in a year or two because people will be really frustrated with the ORC. It will start another 15- to 20-year cycle until people get tired of that rule.”

Until then, he says, US Sailing must focus on providing high-quality measurement services and supporting PHRF by providing a first-class online database with regional ratings and guidelines to help race committees manage local fleets. “PHRF should be kept at the entry level and use single time-on-time scoring,” Honey says. “Any event that wants to do wind-condition scoring should move on to another rule. Any sailor that wants to optimize their boat for different races should go do some different rule.”

A few venerable American races, such the Newport to Bermuda and the Transpacific Race, continue to use the ORR rule. However, in recent years, the Offshore Racing Association, which controls ORR, has struggled to keep its operation functioning. The ORC rule has a chance to be more broadly adopted domestically, but its managers need to work with American race organizers to improve the rule. PHRF has a promising future, but would be well-served to update its operations to make it easy to use. In our age of supercomputer technology, we have the capability to make improvements to handicap rating rules.

Honey suggests improvements can be made by using direct computational fluid dynamics for both hydrodynamics and aerodynamics, which is likely to be the first major improvement. The CFD would be incorporated in the rating calculator and run for each boat from the lines files and measurements. “The technology exists now and is becoming practical as computers become more powerful,” he says. “This would be a major step forward from the VPP in use now by ORC and ORR. I think ORC and ORR are considering such a development.”

US Sailing has hired veteran handicap rating administrator Jim Teeters to oversee the offshore office, and Alan Ostfield, US Sailing’s new CEO, has committed to hiring additional personnel to help Teeters get the operation running efficiently. To assist owners through the arduous measurement process, Honey is an advocate of using the Universal Measurement System, which allows boats to be measured once, with the measurement data used for any ­handicap rating rule.

Sailors and handicappers clearly don’t agree on what the ideal handicapping rule should be, but every sailor does want a fair chance of winning a race if they sail well. We all need to work together to make improvements so that when the wind is right and we sail a perfect race, we can be rewarded with the win.

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Top Yacht Handicap System Summary

The Allocated Handicap (AHC) is the handicap used for the current race. For race 1, this handicap is allocated by the handicapping committee. For subsequent races, the AHC is the CHC calculated from the previous race in a series.

The Back Calculated Handicap (BCH) is calculated by the system and is the handicap that each competitor would have sailed to in order that all competitors finished with the same corrected time. For BCH the reference time will be that of 46% of the fleet.

The Calculated Handicap (CHC) is calculated by the system as a result of performance in the current race using the Top Yacht Exponential Handicapping System. It is the handicap that will be used for the next race.

For the calculation process, each BCH will be restricted to a maximum difference (higher or lower) from the current AHC of the race from which it is derived. This maximum is known as a Clamp. The BCH with the clamps applied is called the CBCH.

Provided that the Upper or Lower Limits are not exceeded, the BCH will be restricted by the clamps which are currently set at +/- 6% of the AHC to produce the CBCH.

The Exponential System does not use any data from previous races in calculating the handicap for the next race, it simply focusses on the current race.

AHC R1 set by the Handicap Committee

AHC R2 = 2/3 AHC R1 + 1/3 CBCH R1

AHC R3 = 2/3 AHC R2 + 1/3 CBCH R2 and similar for remaining races.

The proportions of AHC and BCH used can be altered in Top Yacht eg 1/2AHC + 1/2 BCH is used for Twilights.

During a series, boats typically have one great performance and some bad due to breakages, etc. Limits are a mechanism to accommodate these anomalies.

These function as follows:

Lower Limit: if the BCH is below this limit, the competitor is assumed to have broken something etc. and the BCH is not representative of a boats normal performance. In this case, the BCH for that race is ignored and the CHC will remain unchanged.

Upper Limit: if the BCH is above this limit, the full BCH is used with no clamp applied. Two or more consecutive BCHs above this limit are considered as improving performance. Thus the second and subsequent consecutive occurrences will use an amplified BCH in calculating the AHC for the next race.

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

The Discussion

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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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Handicap & Rating Systems: Portsmouth Yardstick, IRC, ORC and ORR

• March 3rd, 2016
• Sailing Yacht

You may be familiar with that one: Having a small chat with your neighbor at pier side, he will at some point of the conversation mention the “low yardstick” of his boat. You give him a nod, try to retain a knowing face but honestly, you haven´t got a clue what the heck his “low 90-ies yardstick” means in the end. Well, don´t bother: It´s as easy as ABC.

Yardstick Handicap-System: The Easy Way

Looking at the Sunday club-regattas might offer a dramatic picture: Boats and yachts of all sizes are bristling around and competing for the best possible times. But here´s the problem: It wouldn´t be fair if the fastest time wins. Because unless you have a one-class-race (like the Swan 42 SC or the New York Yacht Club or as done in the Nord Stream Race – here´s an article on that one ) it is inevitable having different boat-types at the starting line. But how to make a fair judgement you cannot let the fastest yacht win. Here the Yardstick comes into play. Basically Yardstick is an empirical handicap-system which can be used on a great variety of different sailboat types. It can be applied on any race course and is a simple, very basic equation to turn the elapsed time into a corrected time making the different boat types comparable. A skipper might simply evaluate the Yardstick number of his particular boat by referring to the official lists available in the internet: US Sailors turn to the Portsmouth Numbers Committee, UK-based skippers check the RYA, Scandinavians use their Lingdö-Yardstick-System and Australian lads browse the pages of Victoria Yachting. My fellow Germans might find their Yardstick at the DSV Kreuzer-Abteilung.

My King´s Cruiser 33 has – again varying – Yardsticks of 103 to 109. A rule of thumb says. The lower the Yardstick, the faster the boat. My ship is a classy IOR-construction of the mid Seventies, a modern Dehler 35 from 2010 has a Yardstick of 88. In the end, calculating the real flattened time of a race when competing against a Dehler will be easy: Corrected time = elapsed time x 100 / handicap (Yardstick) . So if on an imagined course my King´s Cruiser and the Dehler would cross the finishing line after having made the run in both exactly 60 minutes, the corrected times according to the rule would be 58 minutes for my yacht and 1.08 hours for the Dehler. Where´s my trophy?

ORR, ORC and IRC Rating Systems: Computer-based Rating

Another approach to have different classes of boats competing against each other in races with an equalizing system is the ORR. This abbreviation stands for Offshore Racing Rule and is governed by the so called ORA, the Offshore Racing Association formed by the Chicago Yacht Club, the Cruising Club of America and the Transpacific Club. The idea was to provide for a more accurate and thus fair rating system. Utilizing latest VPP-Software models (Velocity Prediction Program – here´s an interesting article on VPPs ) it was possible to calculate a handicap not just for a certain type of boat but for a specific boat with a specific set up, rig and mast. In order to feed the VPPs a thorough measurement was needed. And this is where the trouble begins. Taking these measurements includes a very accurate weighing of the ship and a certified measurer who was and still is to be paid by each owner of a yacht to get the data needed to feed the Prediction Programs. To make the buzz perfect, there´s the ORC and the IRC, official bodies who sanction the Olympics, the Volvo Ocean Race and the majority of the big regattas worldwide. ORC is the preferred system of rating a vessel in Northern Europe and Germany , the rivaling system is the IRC-formula which has its fans in the UK, US and the Mediterranean . This can sometimes cause a lot of trouble.

It is not so long ago since according to IRC-ruling constructions which strengthen the keel-sections have been penalized by the formula: Causing the yards to build not so strong yachts in order to get better handicaps. Which was ridiculous. The ORC-formula is a publicly known setup of rules whereas the IRC is a “black box”. There is a trend of both bodies to try to converge, not least because under ISAF-rules only ORC-rated vessels can compete in the official World Championship which is sanctioned by ISAF. Nevertheless: Common thing of all is: You have to spend a lot of money to get the ships rated and certified for competition. Nothing at all for my King´s Cruiser 33: Even if I´d had the money, my boat is far away from running up against modern-day racers.

Useful and practical or expensive and obstructive?

Racers like the thoroughbred speed machine Pogo 12.50 (of which I had the pleasure of taking a look at here ). I am writing an email to the boatbuilder Structures in Brittany, asking for the official rating of this yacht. He sends me an IRC rating of a Pogo 12.50 dating 2013 and issued by the RORC. Charly Fernbach replies in his E-Mail: “Our Pogo 12.50 is designed without any regards to the IRC-matters whis is – we believe – fostering narrow, heavy, unstable and slow boats.” Gulp. “Some boatbuilders and designers have dedicated their boat design to the handicap races, which is perfectly fine, but at Structures we think the IRC-rules lead to old school-design . Maybe because these rules are made to protect the existing fleet to a certain level. We do believe in rules box, such as Classe Mini (see this interview with Lizzy Foreman on her MiniTransatRace on a Pogo 2 ), Class 40, TP52 or Open 60 for racing boats as well in modern cruising design to provide easiness, speed and at last: fun.”

So I see: Again this is a sport where millions of millions of bucks are spent, huge corporations, bodies and different and interests are involved and partially working against each other. Not unlike modern day Football-Leagues, Formula 1 or other high-profile sports. Anyway: I now know that “my” handicap is 103, pretty okay for an old IOR-boat and I am supposedly never ever going to be in a situation to tell the IRC TCC of my yacht to a pier side chatting neighbor.

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Home » IRC Certificate » What is IRC?

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The yacht rating rule for all.

• Rate your standard production cruiser/racer, classic or hi-tech racing yacht
• Great racing inshore and offshore
• From small local events to major national trophies
• Use the same rating in any event worldwide with an IRC class
• No local handicap adjustments
• Simple to calculate corrected time and position while on the water
• Single number, time-on-time rating (TCC)
• Calculated from basic boat data and configuration details
• Physical weighing and measurement by your local IRC measurer, if required
• Ability to run trial ratings to test effect of proposed changes
• Simple to amend rated data during the year
• Progressive approach to the rating of technical developments
• Allowances for full fitout and cruising features

IRC is a rating rule

IRC is a rating rule to handicap different designs of keelboats allowing them to race together; unlike a performance handicap a rating is not altered between races according to the individual boat’s performance, but is based on the physical measurements of the boat.

Each boat’s rating (her ‘handicap’) is calculated using measurements of the boat; her length, weight, draft, rig size, sail area, and specific characteristics and features. The resulting time corrector, the boat’s ‘TCC’, is her handicap. The higher the TCC figure, the faster the boat’s potential speed; IRC TCCs range from 0.750 to 2.000, with the majority of cruiser/racers between 0.900 and 1.100.

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.

IRC is for keelboats of all size and shapes

IRC is aimed at a very wide range of keelboats of all sizes and shapes including modern production cruisers and cruiser/racers through dedicated one-off race boats, older cruisers and racers to classic yachts and superyachts. IRC is continually developed to encompass new developments in both cruisers and racers while at the same time protecting the interests of the bulk of the fleet.

IRC is a permissive rule

It is open to all types, sizes and ages of boats. IRC permits features such as asymmetric spinnakers, bowsprits, twin, triple, wing and drop keels, twin masts, gaff rigs, water ballast, canting keels, ‘code zero’ headsails, lateral daggerboards etc., and deals with these features as equitably as possible.

IRC is an unpublished rule

The methods and formulae used for the calculation of IRC TCCs are not published. This prevents designers taking advantage of the rule when designing new boats and very substantially increases the competitive lifetime of IRC rated boats. As a result, boats of all ages and types win races under IRC. Everything from classics through IOR designs to modern cruisers, cruiser/racers, and racers.

IRC is a simple rule

IRC is structured to be as simple as possible for both sailors and race administrators: there is no requirement for boats to be officially measured (unless required in individual countries). IRC accepts owner declaration of a boat’s measurements. All an owner needs to do is fill in the application form and send it to us. There is the option of an ‘Endorsed’ certificate, for which the data has been audited which may include official weighing and measurement.

IRC is popular

IRC is used for a huge number of races and regattas all over the world, and it would be impossible to list them all!   As a taster, apart from local club races IRC is used at (among many others) well known events such as: Round the Island Race (UK), Cowes Week, Rolex Fastnet Race, Volvo Cork Week, RORC Caribbean 600, Voiles de St Tropez, Rolex Middle Sea Race, Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, Japan Cup, Hamilton Island Race Week, Rolex China Sea Race,  Phuket King’s Cup, Giraglia Rolex Cup, Spi Ouest France, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, Half Ton Classics Cup, Quarter Ton Cup, Marmaris Week, Australian Yachting Championships, RORC Transatlantic Race, Brisbane to Gladstone Race, IRC European Championship, Aegean 600, RORC Baltic 600, Australian Maxi Championship; and various national championships. ( Event sponsors correct at publication date ).

There are boats in 40 countries on all 6 continents racing under IRC.

All the technical information needed to apply for an IRC certificate can be found on this website. Application forms are available from your local IRC Rule Authority.

Start racing

New national rating system for cruiser racers unveiled

Since the pandemic there has been a boost in numbers of people getting afloat - mostly sailors relatively new to the sport - and the RYA and the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) are keen to encourage as many keelboat and cruiser-racer sailors as possible to enjoy racing at their clubs or local regattas. Recognising the need for, and current lack of, an entry level rating system, the RYA and RORC have joined forces with the South West Yacht Time Correction Factor (YTC) rating system to develop and roll out a new initiative: the RYA YTC, powered by RORC Rating. 

YTC has been developed over recent years by a group of volunteers, initially based in Falmouth but now more widely spread across the South West, to rate the wide variety of cruiser/racer yachts to be found racing in clubs so that they can race against each other easily, competitively and fairly. YTC is based on the statistical models developed by Linda Wolstenholme of Emsworth Slipper SC, but the system has developed significantly since the early days and, for those clubs who wish to use it, a means to introduce more accurate results-based club handicapping.

Under an innovative tripartite agreement, the existing YTC core team, led by RYA SW Regional Chair Chris Davis, will continue to advise and support both the RYA and RORC in order to achieve both a seamless transfer for existing users and development and alignment of the system with IRC. The RORC Rating office will bring their unrivalled operational knowledge of rating systems to managing the new system and overseeing future development.

“We recognise the existing RYA National Handicap for Cruisers system (NHC) was not fulfilling clubs’ needs and nobody is keener than my team to see more boats out enjoying racing on the water,” said Ian Walker, the RYA’s Director of Racing. “Having a good, proven rating system that is portable between clubs and regattas and available nationally, free of charge to anybody wanting to go racing, must be a good thing.”

For the RORC Rating Office this project is part of their ambition to support the growth of the sport.

Jason Smithwick, Director of the RORC Rating Office, added: “YTC has proven popular in the South West and has been successful in encouraging more boats into the sport. The system provides an excellent, simple entry-level introduction to racing without the need for personal handicapping, and we are enthusiastic that expansion will help many clubs increase their racing fleets. For those keen to progress further it acts as a simple stepping-stone to IRC racing, the gold standard for rating.”

The aim of the new management team is to move systems across and embed the processes in 2022 before really promoting the system and encouraging more clubs to adopt the system in 2023 and beyond.

Chris Davis, SW YTC Chair, added: “This is an exciting time for the YTC system. It is important to us that sailors and clubs that already use this system have a seamless transition to the new management group. All current YTC ratings and certificates for 2022 will remain valid and the process will remain free of charge. I would like to thank all the volunteers that have worked so hard, for over ten years now, to implement YTC in their clubs and regattas, and of course our sponsors here in the South West. We in the core team are delighted that YTC will be developed further, whilst maintaining the current ethos of the system for the good of anyone wishing to go yacht or keelboat racing at club level.”

Any club wishing to adopt the RYA YTC for their club racing, or any boat owners interested in obtaining an RYA YTC rating can find all the details at ytc.rorcrating.com   or www.swytc.org.uk .

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Australian Sailing CBH Rating

The Australian Sports Boat Association has adopted CBH Rating run by Australian Sailing as its primary rating system. The changed from Yacht Rating Services Australia's SMS Rating to Australian Sailing's CBH Rating was approved by the ASBA Members at a Special general Meeting on the 24th November 2022 as the members agreed that the CBH rating system would suit the changing needs of the ASBA.

The Class Based Handicap (CBH) formula has now been updated to align it with World Sailing’s Equipment Rules definitions and remedy some other previously identified issues. This change will ensure the rating is more inclusive, allowing a wider range of Trailable Yacht and Sports Boat Classes access to a CBH rating.

As a result of the changes to the model and definitions the Trailable Yacht & Sports Boat Rule has been amended to reflect these changes and has now become the CBH Rating System.

In addition, the National Committee has been disbanded and the CBH ratings function will be administered internally by Australian Sailing staff. Australian Sailing will also coordinate the hosting of the National Championships, in line with the way other Australian Sailing events are managed.

The new Rating System is intended to

• Provide a National System for even and fair racing on handicap in a mixed fleet of Trailable Yachts and / or Sports Boats • Ensure transparency across the rating system  • Allow Trailable Yacht and Sports Boat owners to gain a new CBH at any time of the year • Support Australian Sailing in its work to promote Trailable Yacht and Sports Boat racing activities within the states and territories and at national level.

For all the information on Australian Sailing CBH rating, application and rating list, head over to their  resource's website

Sailing Australia has also created several resources to help owners with the transition to CBH:

Where to get CBH Information

Does your sports boat need measuring for CBH

Who can measure a sports boat for a CBH rating

How does a sports boat get measured for CBH

CBH and light ship condition

Applying for a CBH rating

CBH listing is publicly available

Preparing sports boat safety equipment

Current Boat CBH ratings

Lodging your CBH data with Sailing Australia

ASBA LTP Handicap

The Australian Sports Boat Association has adopted ASBA LTP as a secondary handicapping system. ASBA LTP is a performance handicap system developed by Top Yacht. A boat’s ASBA LTP Handicap will adjust over the course of an ASBA regatta and recalculated after each ASBA regatta and displayed ready for the next regatta.

The ASBA Handicaps are based on the long-term performance of the Sports Boat. If a Sports Boat does not have a ASBA LTP Handicap a starting handicap will be allocated be the ASBA committee. This handicap is applied to the elapsed time of the boat to obtain its corrected time for the race.

The ASBA has seen a need to create a performance handicap system for the fleet and working with Top Yacht the ASBA LTP Handicap was best suited as it does not just use results over a few races. The long term considers results over a longer period of time to make the best average handicap. This takes out the highs and lows that some performance handicaps can have. The Australian Sports Boat Association's committee discusses feedback from members and presents this to the Top Yacht’s Handicapping Committee to get the best out of the handicap system. A list of boats and handicaps have been compiled by Top Yacht. Boats and their handicaps get added and updated by Top Yacht as they sail with the fleet.

Current Boat ASBA LTP Handicaps

Information On How To Obtain A Valid PHRF Handicap

You Must Contact Your Club Handicapper. All The  SLVYRA Affiliated Clubs  Are Represented At The Handicapper’s Regional Committee. The SLVYRA  Handicapper’s List  Is Available On This Website.

To Establish Your PHRF Handicap, Your Club Handicapper Will Need Some Information About Your Boat Equipment; Name Of Boat, Type Of Boat, Sail Number, Engine Type, Propeller Type, Number And Type Of Sails, Type Of Handicap (With Spi Or White Sails).

Once The PHRF Handicap Is Established, The Club Handicapper Passes On The Information To The SLVYRA Chief Handicapper Who Is In Charge Of Updating The Regional List Of Handicaps Showed On This Site. This List Is Updated 6 Or 7 Times During The Sailing Season.

If you are not a member of a Club affiliated with SLVYRA

You must contact the SLVYRA Chief Handicapper directly .

To Establish Your PHRF Handicap, The Chief Handicapper Will Need Some Information About Your Boat Equipment; Name Of Boat, Type Of Boat, Sail Number, Engine Type, Propeller Type, Number And Type Of Sails, Type Of Handicap (With Spi Or White Sails).

Once The PHRF Handicap Is Established, The SLVYRA Chief Handicapper Will Update The Regional List Of Handicaps Showed On This Site. This List Is Updated 6 Or 7 Times During The Sailing Season.

Handicap Documents

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Byron Software and Services

Sailboat racing.

Key - description:-

ByCN : Class portsmouth handicap Numbers are quoted for an upper quartile version rather than the Class median version. In general terms that means, handicaps refer to the larger polyester type headsail and full sized spinnaker version rather than the often more popular vessels with cruising or builder supplied sails. Clubs may need to adjust a 'Byron Class Number' to suit local conditions, of course reasons should be declared (ie tidal/course skew factor). A vessel specific ByPN handicap/rating calculation can be provided

Class : OD :One Design, DD :Deep Drafted, SD :Shoal Drafted, TM :Tall Mast, GC :Gaff Cutter.

Knots : light displacement hull speed.

Keel : f :fin, ff :flared fin, fb :fin ballasted(lowCofG), b :bulb, w :wing, 2k :bilge, 3k :trikeel, d :drop keel, d. :drop keel fixed down when racing (also fbd. etc), s :swing keel, bb :bilge boards, L :long, 2h 3h :multihull (refer to Boat Keels for more detail).

Engine/propeller : non :no engine, ob :outboard, obf :outboard within hull and fixed down, ibf :inboard +furling prop. ib2 :ib +2 fixed bladed prop. ib3 :ib +3 fixed bladed or more.

Furl : rr :roller reefing/furling sail included.

uSAD : indication of 'on the water' power to weight ratio upwind.

dSAD : indication of 'on the water' power to weight ratio downwind.

Data format:-

Handicapping ideas

• Pursuit Races using TopYacht – 20110328 Pursuit Racing with Computer Adjusted HC based on relative performance not on place 20091023
• Recommendations for a Measure Performance HC system 20050828
• Regatta Performance Handicap System 20110522
• Running a Pursuit Race-HC Start race in TopYacht with multiple Divisions.
• Set Up for Keel HCs 19990527
• TopYacht Adds a new Time based HC method for Pursuit Racing 20110409
• TopYacht Hcing Dir Bias 20070720
• TopYacht Pursuit Race Offset enhancement 20091020
• What do you want your HC system to do for results 20010408
• Why dont the CHCs from the previous race equal the AHC from this race 20080117
• Auto adjusting Handicaps (HCs) what`s best for my club
• Automatic Pursuit HC in TopYacht An Example 2010
• Creating sensible handicap results for a regatta using TopYacht 20051214
• Exponential Handicapping 20090606
• Exponential Placed Biased Handicapping 20100916
• Handicap Systems Compared 20010523
• Handicap Terminology as used by TopYacht 20070205
• Handicap types 20000119
• Handicapping Some Less Desirable Handicapping Methods 20000911
• Handicapping Creating a Level Playing Field20050828
• Handicapping in Topyacht V10 20070328
• HC Algorithms Explored 20000426
• HC drift over a season -detecting it and correcting it 20050410
• How many decimals should auto adjusting Handicaps use 20050407
• How many figures of a handicap- Train & Boats & Areoplanes 20080801
• MeasurePerformanceHCingAddress1 2000807
• Performance Handicapping for a Regatta
• Performance Handicaps Systems a quick comparison 19991206
• PHS handicapping – a sailors guide

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