Yacht Time Correction (YTC) Continues to Drive Growth in UK Grassroots Racing
by RYA Press Office 14 Apr 14:30 BST
The Yacht Time Correction (YTC), powered by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) Rating Office and supported by the RYA, continues to play a key role in increasing participation in club-level racing for cruising yachts and cruiser-racers across the UK.
Developed to make racing more accessible, YTC provides a simple, free rating assessment that enables skippers of all skill levels to feel confident entering their boats into club races, series, and port regattas. The system has a proven ability to deliver closely competitive racing for a wide variety of yachts, making it well suited to grassroots sailing.
To date, the YTC continues to attract growing interest from both boat owners and sailing clubs. During the 2025 season, approximately 1,900 boats and 170 clubs registered on the YTC online portal, underlining the demand for a straightforward ratings solution at club level.
"YTC is all about making club racing easier and more enjoyable for everyone. By simplifying the rating process for both sailors and race officials, it helps more people get involved, supports cruising and cruiser-racer fleets, and makes it simpler for clubs to run great racing." - Adam Parry, RYA Technical Manager
"There has been a strong early uptake of YTC for 2026 as it continues to provide a straightforward introduction to racing and ratings. It is exciting that YTC will be used for the cruiser classes at Cowes Week for the first time this year, an important milestone in the scheme's development. We look forward to seeing even more sailors and clubs benefit from what YTC has to offer." - Jenny Howells, RORC Technical Manager
How does it work?
YTC uses the physical measurements of a boat to calculate a rating based on hull length, waterline length, boat weight, draft and sail areas.
The online system uses "brochure data" so owners don't need to have their boats physically measured. Once a boat is registered, it appears in the public listings, allowing owners and clubs to easily look up existing entries. For most popular production designs, only sail area information needs to be added, making the system extremely straightforward to use. And for those revalidating from the previous year with no changes, certificates can be issued almost immediately.
Sailing clubs meanwhile are also urged to register on the YTC portal, as this helps their members to apply and makes it easy for their racing officials to search for boats that have a valid YTC certificate at their club.
Why use YTC?
- Free and easy to apply
- Proven to deliver close, competitive racing
- Suitable for a wide range of yachts
- Supported by the RYA and administered by the RORC Rating Office
YTC applications are open for 2026
Holders of a previous YTC certificate will have received an email with a renewal link. New applicants, or those requiring amendments, can apply via the application link request form on the YTC online portal.
Visit the YTC online portal to find out more, register your club or apply for a free certificate for your boat.