Do you remember the IOR? Apotheosis of spinnaker, ingavonate and straorze
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What a bogey under spi in Cowes, Solent, for Sam Laidlaw’s Quarter Tonner BLT. Then again, more “mature” sailors know this well. In the heyday of the IOR (the tonnage system created in 1970–then abandoned in 1988 for the IMS–which allowed different boats to compete on equal terms and was instrumental in changing boat design) such scenes were commonplace.
TO THE CARRIERS BEGIN THE DANCE
IOR boats have a slender bow (and not, as now, straight). The stern has a nice momentum with a negative transom, that is, with an angle that recedes toward the deck. Third distinctive feature is the maximum width. It is noticeable but concentrated in the middle of the boat while the bow and stern ends are thinner. This makes them sail with very good upwind angles, while in the stern-and we come to the picture above-they are difficult to steer, very ballerine and at risk of oversteering and gagging.
Especially in sustained winds and with the dear old-almost obsolete-symmetrical spinnaker: with it you even go down flush in the stern, but all it takes is a badly caught wave, a sudden loss of speed, a late reaction by the helmsman that you find yourself with your bow in the water. Therefore, the sensitivity of those at the tiller in the first place is crucial.
HOW TO AVOID GAVELING ON AN IOR
How can we try to avoid the risks of swamping the carriers as much as possible, under spi? Static weight (raft, endowments) should be carried as far aft as possible. IOR boats have pronounced stern thrusts, and the best way to make the most of dynamic speed is to set the weight back as far as possible, increasing the waterline length of the hull. But not only that. the point of maximum beam is also tacked and make the boat “lean” at that point by reducing roll as much as possible.
The crew should also be moved aft as far as possible. In addition to the reasons listed above, this makes it as easy as possible to glide and get the bow out of the wave line, decreasing the risk of gagging.
A MYTHICAL BOAT
The boat featured in the shot-which appeared in Sailing Anarchy-is BLT, one of the Jacques Fauroux-designed Bullits that won the 1980 Quarter Ton Cup in New Zealand. In all, only seven Bullits were built, three of which won Quarter Ton Cups in 1978, 1980 and 1981. They are highly sought-after boats for IOR nostalgics.
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