ORC regulations, there are important changes for 2015

Do you have the boat tared ORC? Then read the following carefully because after the association’s Annual General Meeting in Palma de Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain), there is some news simmering in the pot.

CDL, WHO IS HE
On a general level, leaving aside the minor adjustments to the system (aerodynamics of the jibs, different use of wind implied in race management, etc.), the new way of dividing the Classes, CDL (Class Division Lenght), a more technical system that does not rely only on the GPH, jumps out at you (an acronym for General Purpose Handicap, which is an average representation of all allowances used only for simple comparison between boats and for class division. It is calculated as the average of time allowances in real winds of 8 and 12 knots for the “Circular Random” course-a type of hypothetical course in which the boat circumnavigates a circular island with the direction of the real wind held constant), but which also takes into account the size of the boat. Internationally, three subdivisions have been suggested according to CDL:

17.0 m ≥ Class A > 11.6 m
11.6 m ≥ Class B > 9.7 m
9.7 m ≥ Class C > 8.5 m

A MEASURE AGAINST “SMART PEOPLE”
“The CDL is the result of two averaged values: the length of tonnage and the handicap of the upwind boat in average winds,” explained ORC President Bruno Finzi at a meeting in Trieste. “This new way of determining classes should limit the phenomenon of large boats that, by reducing a bit of sail plan, passed into the lower class creating obvious imbalances.” The CDL will be adopted in major ORC events next season, starting with the World Championship in Barcelona, underscoring the importance of being able to race major international and national regattas with the same Group/Class limits.

NEW FORMAT FOR THE NATIONAL OFFSHORE CHAMPIONSHIP
Another “home-grown” novelty is related to the Italian ORC Championship: it cannot be said that the last editions awarding the national title were a success from the point of view of the number of participants, so some changes will be launched in the 2015 Regulations. In particular, the new format of the Italian Championship open to all boats and with special concessions (free event registration) for Class winners in the specific qualifying regattas (Last year, these regattas were the Alassio International Sailing Week, the Porti Imperiali Trophy in Fiumicino, the Two Gulfs Trophy in Lignano, the Punta Stendardo Trophy in Gaeta, the San Felice Trophy in Sottomarina, the Riviera delle Palme Trophy in San Benedetto del Tronto, the Gavitello d’Argento in Punta Ala and the Stecconi Trophy in Ancona.) In the new Offshore Rules, the point limits of boardable qualified athletes will also be lowered (each athlete is given a score according to his or her results in regatta after regatta), including those of the helmsman, so as to encourage the entry of non-professionals.

IRC DOES NOT CHANGE
The IRC rating system for 2015 has no particular changes from the season just ended, except for some clarification of rules mostly of interest to race organizers.

(photo by Max Ranchi)