„I just got an email from the Royal Danish Yachtclub (KDY), telling me that they are going to include the IRC rule in the 2010 KDY Autumn Regatta, which is one of the most prestigious regattas in Denmark.“

With this words Per Weiskvist has given us the great news, that the cicuit has grown with one more race.







DEN 9503, Tarok 7, Swan45, Erik Berth, Kongelig Dansk Yachtklub, Kopenhagen

The group “Hanseboot IRC Baltic Open 2010” has been opened recently. Sign in and get in contact with other members! Share your opinions, discuss your plans regarding racing in the Baltic or find new crew-members for the next season!








GER 6004: Gut's n Glory, Rogers46, Christopher Wuttke, Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, Hamburg

At the initiative of German offshore Owners Association, in cooperation with Kerteminde Sejlklub and the owners of offshore racing organizations from Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway a completely new racing series is launched in 2010: The hanseboot IRC Baltic Open. This race series is based on the collective international scoring of established classical offshore races in the Baltic and North Sea.

A total of two to three established offshore races per country will be incorporated in the calculation according to the international IRC handicap system. The goal of the organizers is to promote the competition of international offshore sailors in the Baltic and motivate them to increasingly compete in races of neighbouring countries. Therefore, the two best results will be assessed for each yacht, taking into account the size of the participating field. Furthermore, extra points will be awarded for crews who participate in races of at least two different countries. Read more about the scoring...

“The RORC currently is making plans to try and re-introduce the Admirals Cup in 2011,” says Volker Andreae, Chairman of the German offshore Owners Association. “Therefore, all committed sailors realize that only a preparation within the bounds of international competition has prospect of success. For this purpose, Hanseboot IRC Baltic Open provides an optimal platform.” Per Weiskvist, owner of the J/V 41 R "Visione 3" from Kerteminde Seijlklub agrees: “It will be great, and at a high level, for Northern Europe conditions, I think.” Zoe Andreae explains the idea behind the circuit in the Hamburg City Hall.

Mike Urwin, RORC Rating office, Technical Director explains to Louay Habib some of the changes proposed to IRC, and the overall objective of the IRC rule.

LH: What is IRC's underlying philosophy?

MU: We want IRC to be a permissive rule. IRC Rules say it is for ballasted monohull keel boats with not more than two masts; those are the only fundamental restrictions we want to apply. So, if someone comes along with something novel, like water ballast or canting keels or asymmetric spinnakers, or bowsprits... we want to embrace that but until we get to understand what the new idea is all about, we try as hard as possible to be cautious in the way we rate the boats. If we don't know what the effect will be on the performance of the boat, we tend to over compensate. Do we always get that right? No. Do we then do something about it? Yes.

Read the full interview here: http://www.ircrating.org/en/concentric-circles/213-mike-urwin-interview.html

Tuesday, 06 October 2009