INAUGURAL WORLDS 2018
The other major event in the IRC
calendar for 2018 is its first-ever world
championship, following blessing
from World Sailing in 2016 for this to
proceed. However it will not be simple.
Around the world there are rival rating
systems, with IRC being dominant in
many parts, but with ORC strong on
the continent and Baltic in particular.
Traditionally ORC has been permitted
by World Sailing to hold ‘offshore’
world championships, but this year
The Hague Offshore Sailing World
Championship, over 12-20 July, will
be run under both ORC and IRC.
Competing yachts can range in
size based on an ORC CDL (Class
Division Length – yes, ORC has a
number just for this purpose...)
maximum of 16.5 (for example, a TP52
is 15-15.2) and minimum of 8.60 (a
JeanneauSunFast37isaround8.6,a
Mumm 30 8.8ish). Within this, the
fleet will be divided in three with up
to 50 boats allowed in each class:
Class A:16.5 >= CDL > 11.6 min.
Class B:11.6>=CDL>9.80min.
Class C: 9.80 >= CDL > 8.60 min.
Given 115 boats from 19 nations
competed at the ORC Worlds in 2017,
the 150 boat target will be easily reached
with both the ORC and IRC fleets
combined at an event in the Netherlands,
with easy access from the UK, northern
France, Scandinavia and the Baltic.By modern standards The Hague
Offshore Sailing World Championship is
long at nine days, but this includes two
and a half days of pre-event equipment
inspection, with the remaining half day
being used for practice racing. Of the six
race days, two to three are being used
for an offshore race, which unusually
will comprise two races within one; the
start to the midway point counting as
one, the start to the finish as the other.
These will carry a 2x points coefficient.
Some will be surprised that at an
event describing itself as an ‘Offshore
World Championship’ there will be
three or four days of inshore racing.
While some major events are scored
by running IRC and ORC in parallel,For the third IRC Euros to be held on 9-16 June this
year in the epicentre of Cowes, entries could top 100
Above
A strong UK fleet
will take on rivals
from Europe on
home waters
Facing page
The IRC Euros
will sail the same
courses as the
Commodores’
Cup, including a
race around the
Isle of WightApril 2018 Yachts & Yachting 25