Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club

IRC at RFBYC (Q's & A's Sourced from: The IRC 2010 Yearbook and the Yachting Australia Website)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is IRC?

This page will provide you with information on what the rule is and how it works, help you decide the IRC is the right rating system for your boat, and provide you with information on how to get your boat measured and apply for a certificate.

IRC is a rating system based on a time-on-time calculation (TCC) of a boat's elapsed time. It is a simplified rule and works on the basic principal that the faster the boat, the higher the TCC. IRC is considered a "secret" rule, the intention of which is to prevent the development of design-optimised boats that can take advantage of their rating.

Further information on the rule can be found in the IRC Yearbook or from the IRC website:http://www.ircrating.org/

Why use IRC?

IRC rates measured data such as a boat's weight, length, draft and sail area, as well as special features like water ballast, canting keels and bowsprits to allow a wide range of keelboats to compete against each other on a similar playing field.

IRC has been adopted on a wide international scale and is the main handicap category used for several world-renowned regattas such as:

Cowes Week

Fastnet Race

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

Hamilton Island Race Week

Key West Race Week

Phuket King's Cup

China Sea Race

Principles of IRC

IRC is generally considered a self-measurement rule; however, the practice of using Endorsed certificates is considered the norm in Australia. Endorsed certificates require that all rated information on the certificate has been audited by an accredited official and confirmed by measurement. Boats with an endorsed certificate must also be weighed on certified scales.

Any changes made to a boat after its initial rating has been supplied must be declared by the owner so that the rating is still current and applicable.

IRC also applies an age allowance factor to a boat's rating. This is automatically applied after 3 years and uses the average of the series and age date in its calculation.

Boats are individually rated so boats of the same or similar design will not necessarily have the same rating. Some standard measurements can be used for boats of a standard design but rig and sail measurements will always have to be taken. Only boats of a valid OD class can source data from a sistership certificate.

What does IRC stand for?

IRC does not officially stand for anything! Originally, IR was international Rule. However, as the Rule at that stage was not international, that name was not permitted. We simply decided to keep the initials as the name, and even after IRC received international recognition the name remained as simply IRC. Some people do call it international Rule Club but it is not our published name.

Why is the rating rule secret?

We believe the confidentiality of the IRC formulae is its main strength. It helps to prevent designers and builders producing boats specifically to cheat the rule, thereby disenfranchising the existing designs for which IRC was created to cater.

For how long is my certificate valid?

All IRC certificates expire on 31 December of the year they are issued (31 May in some overseas areas, as printed on the certificate). You will automatically be invited to renew your certificate when it has expired.

Can I hold more than one valid certificate for different configurations?

No, except in the case of short-handed certificates.

My boat had an IRC rating in 2008 or 2009; do I need to complete the whole new form?

No, please contact your local Rule Authority for a revalidation form.

My boat hasn't had a rating for a few years but I want to get a current one. What do I need to do?

Contact your local Rule Authority with details of the boat and we will let you know what we require and send you the relevant forms. For boats last rated before 2008 we usually require a new application for completed.

I've just bought a boat with a current rating- do I have to do anything?

Yes. The IRC certificate is invalidated by change of ownership, so you need to re-register the certificate, please ask your local Rule Authority for a form. Some check measurement may be required.

Do you hold standard data for designs?

We hold complete data for IRC one-design and standard hull data for many designs. For non-OD boats we always require actual rig and sail measurements.

My boat has held an IMS or ORC International certificate-Can I get the information off that?

Yes, except: bow and stern overhang. Y,H,X; LL & LL max, FL and STL which is measured differently.

Does my boat have to be Weighed/Measured by an official measurer?

No, unless you require an Endorsed certificate or your local Rule Authority or race organiser requires boats to be weighed/measured.

What is an Endorsed certificate?

An Endorsed IRC certificate is one for which the data on the certificate has been audited and if necessary verified by measurement or other methods. The 2005 IRC Congress agreed that a set of common standards for the IRC Rating Authority and Rule Authorities to apply when endorsing a boats IRC certificate should be developed and published: Generally, IRC is a self-measurement system. There is thus no general requirement for an owner to have his boat officially measured or weighed unless either he chooses to do so, or his Rule Authority (i.e. his local IRC body) and/or an Organising Authority for a race required official measurement, generally resulting in an Endorsed IRC certificate. To apply for a Endorsed certificate contact your local Rule Authority. A payment may be involved. Some more popular designs may be Endorsed using standard hull data; check with your Rule Authority regarding this. Rig and sail data will always need measurement. Check measurement may be required on change of ownership or at intervals after original measurement.

Do sails need to be measured, or only the largest ones?

The larger ones, plus the longest luff length of any headsail and the largest headsail headboard.

What changes on my boat need to be declared to the Rating Office?

Any changes which may affect the performance of the boat.

Can I remove items like the saloon table?

If items are removed, which are either standard on a production boat, or were included in the previous certificate, Then this must be declared and may affect the rating. Removing table, doors etc, will increase Hull Factor; We try to discourage this practice.

How can I see what effect changes I want to make might have on my rating?

Once you hold a current certificate, you can run up to SIX trial certificates; these are not valid for racing.

I need to amend some measurements/ I want to run a trial certificate, what should I do?

Download the amendment/trial form from the website www.rorcrating.com complete and return to your Rule Authority with payment details, GBR owners can pay online through MyIRC.

How do I get a copy of another yachts certificate?

Contact the Rating Office. Copies of any other boats certificate can be purchased for $20. However please see limits published on our website.

Can I see what measurement data was submitted for another yacht?

Only the measurements and data shown on the IRC certificate are publicly available, by buying a copy of their latest certificate.

How is age allowance applied?

Age allowance is calculated and applied to the TCC automatically after three years. Age allowance uses the average of the series and age dates in its calculation.

Will my rating be the same each year? Why has my rating changed from last year even through my boat has not?

Your rating may go up, down or stay the same from year to year, Depending on how it is affected by program changes. It will NOT automatically go down each year due to age allowance, although this is an integral part of the TCC calculation. IRC is a live rule. By this we mean that the math's behind the calculation of TCC is continually adjusted on an annual basis to reflect changes in design, sailing practice, etc. The changes affect generic type and characteristics, not individual boats or designs.

Why is my rating higher than a sisterships?

Ratings are based on rated data; therefore any difference in measurements or other details may affect the rating.

My boat doesn't have a proper sail number- does it matter?

Yes, IRC Rule 14 states that IRC-rated yachts must have an approved sail number.