Please select your home edition
Edition
Leaderboard FD July August September 2023

2019 ORC Rules, VPP and Worldwide Calendar now available

by ORC Media 8 Jan 2019 10:44 GMT
ORC rules and standards help provide fair ratings and racing at prestigious championship events, such as the 2018 ORC European Championship in Limassol, Cyprus © Nikos Pantis

The Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) is pleased to announce the 2019 versions of its Rules and regulations, Velocity Prediction Program (VPP) and Worldwide Calendar of events are now published and are available on the ORC website at www.orc.org. These are available both for the ORC and ORC Superyacht rating systems.

Organized into separate rulebooks and documents, the ORC rules include the International Measurement System (IMS), the ORC Rating System rules for ORC International and ORC Club certificates, the ORC Superyacht Rule, the ORC Sportboat Class Rules, and the ORC Championship Rules, Standard Notice of Race, Standard Sailing Instructions, and the ORC Championship Checklist, collectively known as the "Green Book." These are available for viewing and download at www.orc.org/rules.

The changes to these rules from 2018 are based on input from the users of the ORC system that have representation in the ORC Congress, the ORC Management Committee, the International Technical Committee (ITC), and the technical staff. They were approved at the ORC Congress that met at the Annual General Meeting held over 26-31 October in Sarasota, USA, and are summarized at this link: www,orc.org/changes.

Among the changes are improvements made to the aero- and hydro-dynamic modeling of the ORC VPP based on research, observations and user requests. For example, the model for added resistance due to waves was upgraded, the windage drag due to hiked crew was improved, and the model for crew weight position was improved to be optimized for boat speed and not just heel angle.

The IMS rules provide the framework needed for the quality and consistency of measurement data to operate the ORC system. For this year there are not many changes, but some measurement procedures are clarified and streamlined, such as internal ballast, propeller shafts that are not installed on centerline can now be measured, position of the weights for boom inclinations and minor clarifications on mainsail and mizzen staysail measurements.

The ORC Rating System rules help to keep racing fair among ORC Club and ORCi-rated boats by explaining policy rules and default limits, certificate use and scoring systems. For 2019 numerous clarifications are made in rules for ballast systems, boats with both asymmetric and symmetric spinnakers may now declare that the asymmetric sails are flown only on centerline, and other minor items.

For the ORC's Green Book, new 2019 CDL limits defining the three classes at ORC Championship events have been devised for minimal disruption to the fleet from the 2018 limits.

These new limits are as follows:

  • Class A: 16.50 >= CDL > 11.62 m
  • Class B: 11.62 >= CDL > 9.80 m
  • Class C: 9.80 >= CDL > 8.60 m
The only change was small shift in the Class A-B split at 11.62 m CDL.

And for ORC Club and ORC International certificates, national rating offices may now opt to include a new appendix page of ratings based on specific course models in addition to the standard Long distance/Coastal and Windward/Leeward models shown on current certificates.

Yet for the vast majority of ORC certificate holders, their primary concern is How has my rating changed for 2019? A test run shows that for 90% of the nearly 2000 designs in the ORCi fleet the change in General Purpose Handicap (GPH) was only very small: +/- 0.5%. This is within the normal scale of changes year to year as the system makes incremental progress in accuracy without causing disruptions to the fleet. Moreover, a re-scoring of race results from the major 2018 ORC championships using the 2019 VPP showed little or no changes in scores.

"Yearly rating changes should not be cause for alarm," said Bruno Finzi, Chairman of ORC. "Our process is to make the VPP better and more accurate every year through the substantial investment we make in research and development through the efforts of the ITC. The very small changes for this year means that everyone should continue to enjoy the same close racing they have had with their prior use of the ORC system."

Issuance of valid certificates for the 2019 season is at the discretion of each of the 36 national rating offices in the ORC system - the list of these offices is at www.orc.org/ratingoffices.

The 2019 ORC VPP Documentation will be available soon after the 2019 ORC VPP gets distributed to the 35 independent Rating Offices located around the world. Their timing for issuing new 2019 certificates will vary by country, check with your local rating office for more details. There are also many others who are subscribed to soon receive the final version of the 2019 ORC Designer's version VPP software (DVP) after assisting in providing feedback on the beta versions issued in the last month.

For those interested in subscribing to the 2019 DVP, this is available now at the discount rate of EUR360/year until 15 January, when the price increases to its regular rate of EUR600/year. More information on the 2019 DVP can be found at www.orc.org/dvp.

The 2019 ORC Superyacht (ORCsy) Rules are also now available online from the ORC Superyacht page at www.orc.org/superyacht.

And for those interested in subscribing to the ORC Superyacht DVP, this is also available now for EUR840 for existing subscribers and EUR1200 for new subscribers on the ORC Superyacht page at www.orc.org/index.asp?id=206.

And for those who want to see how the 2019 VPP affects the ratings of their boat or others in the fleet, the ORC's Sailor Services system is also now equipped to run Test certificates, Speed Guides and Target Speeds for nominal prices payable through PayPal. This unique public access system is available after free registry at www.orc.org/sailorservices.

In addition to the 2019 Rules and VPP, the 2019 ORC Worldwide Calendar of Events is also on the website at www.orc.org/calendar. This list of event information has been provided by race organizers, rating offices and others and is continuously updated as new information becomes available.

And the ORC Superyacht Calendar of events is available at www.orc.org/superyacht.

More on ORC rating systems, ORC certificates and events can be found at www.orc.org.

Related Articles

Ubico ORC B at the Copa del Rey MAPFRE Preview
A total of 35 boats representing 12 nationalities are set to line up in the division A total of 35 boats representing 12 nationalities, all closely matched in length and performance, will line up in Ubico ORC B, the largest and one of the most competitive classes at the 43 Copa del Rey MAPFRE. Posted today at 2:12 pm
2025 Sail Paradise - Last call for early bird!
You're invited to test your crew in Australia's spectacular offshore sailing regatta You're invited to test your crew in Australia's spectacular offshore sailing regatta, The Yacht Sales Co Sail Paradise 2025! Posted today at 6:24 am
ORC DH Europeans Short Offshore Race
Racing opens in Helsinki with tight racing and shifting winds The 2025 Garmin ORC Double Handed European Championship got under way in Helsinki with the Short Offshore Race on Tuesday, July 8. This marked the official start of racing after days of measurement, safety checks, and a practice race. Posted on 8 Jul
Fleet advances to the last half of the AEGEAN 600
In contrast to yesterday's slow pace, the rate of progress has been much improved Most of the fleet of 59 Monohulls and Multihulls who are sailing in this year's AEGEAN 600 have either already entered the second half of the race at the island of Rhodes or are well on their way to reaching this important milestone. Posted on 8 Jul
Mediterranean Regatta season in full swing
A+T instruments seen all over Europe delivering high-level performance for racing fleets As regatta season gathers speed, A+T instruments were seen all over Europe delivering high-level performance for the racing fleets. Posted on 8 Jul
New safety standards announced
For GCCM Gold Coast Mackay Yacht Race 2025 After the release of the findings into the tragic events of the Rolex Sydney Hobart 2024 by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Southport Yacht Club has announced a safety revision to their Notice of Race for the GCCM Gold Coast Mackay Yacht Race. Posted on 8 Jul
Stops & re-starts in first two legs of AEGEAN 600
A tough first night and early morning spent fighting zephyrs getting through the Cyclades After a beautiful breezy start yesterday, but a tough first night and early morning spent fighting zephyrs getting through the Cyclades, at the end of today's daylight the AEGEAN 600 fleet is back on the move. Posted on 7 Jul
Helsinki Welcomes Top Double-Handed Teams
For the 2025 Garmin ORC DH European Championship The countdown is over - the 2025 Garmin ORC Double-Handed Europeans has officially begun in Helsinki. Organised by the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) in collaboration with Helsingfors Segelklubb (HSK) and the Finnish Offshore Sailing Association. Posted on 7 Jul
Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy 2025 overall
A weekend marked by strong winds, demanding seas, and top-level racing in Cascais The 6th edition of the Mirpuri Foundation Sailing Trophy came to a close this Sunday after a weekend marked by strong winds, demanding seas, and top-level racing in Cascais. Posted on 7 Jul
A perfect start to the 5th annual AEGEAN 600
Cloudless blue skies, crystal clear waters and perfect 12-15 knots of northerly wind At the very southern end of the Greek mainland at Cape Sounion in Attica, today's start to the 5th edition of the AEGEAN 600 was perfect: cloudless blue skies, crystal clear waters and perfect 12-15 knots of northerly wind. Posted on 6 Jul