Classic IOR and Admiral’s Cup, the realm of cult boats

history of sailing today is a complex web of brilliant insights, technical innovations, ambitious characters, excellent boats and legendary events. An accumulation of elements that, in adding up and intersecting with each other, as with everything, has given rise to what we can witness today.
There are, however, elements that undoubtedly are keystones of it, unforgettable landmarks.
The IOR ( International Offshore Rule; HERE find out what it is) was certainly part of these, a planning period capable of fundamental achievements and innovations.
That IOR was, in short, a unique period, a proponent of outstanding Classic Boats and regattas that became legends.
To celebrate it in the best way possible, to give it back the credit it deserves, and to bring these hulls back to life, the Journal of Sailing has surveyed many of the greatest mass-produced boats (find them HERE) and, now, wants to survey the great masterpieces of the IOR, the cults of racing, that is, those surviving, unique and precious boats that made a golden era great . So here is our appeal to all enthusiasts: point out the IOR Classics, where they are and what state they are in. We will be grateful.

Classic IOR – The Admiral’s CUP

The purpose of the census is to include these boats in our “registry” of Your Classic Boats by Journal of Sailing. BEWARE, however, putting them on the registry does not only mean census them, it also means valuing all those boats that have a history and a pedigree that allows us to highlight their real historical value-exactly as happens in the world of cars and real estate-to give them back the status they really deserve, and thus their true value. We will take the opportunity not only to create a large archive of them accessible to all, but also to tell and share them as best we can, so that the IOR, in its own way, can partly survive, recovering the status it deserves and allowing us, and you, to see these boats at sea again, and why not, maybe even racing… But, in addition to censusing and enhancing the boats, the goal is also to enhance their memory, to tell about the personalities, hulls and events that made the sport unique.
Here, then, is the queen of offshore sailing, the Admiral’s Cup.

• ENTERING A CLASSIC IOR INTO THE CLASSIC BOAT ARCHIVE IS SUPER EASY: CLICK HERE AND ENTER THE BOAT . ALWAYS HERE, ALSO FIND ALL YOUR CLASSIC BOATS ALREADY SURVEYED

Admiral’s Cup, the realm of the Offshore

One of the undisputed drivers behind the development, investment and birth of exceptional hulls is her, the Admiral’s Cup, the highlight event to win the title of World Offshore Champions (and back in 2025).
But, what exactly was the Admiral’s?

The Admiral’s Cup was a complex affair.
First and foremost.
Created in 1957 at the initiative of the British Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), it was a biennial international trophy for national teams, soon destined to become the pinnacle of offshore sailing.
Consisting of 6 races (until ’87), it included circuit races between the buoys, the Channel Race and the world-famous Fastnet Race, the climax of it all, 605 miles in the difficult waters south of England, Wales and Ireland.
Born in the late 1950s, it reached its peak in the 1970s, with no less than 3 editions strong with 19 national teams, in turn consisting of several hulls each. The 1990s and the IMS, replacing the IOR, were instead the beginning of its decline, which officially ended with the early 2000s.

Notions aside, however, the Admiral’s Cup was, and still is, the pinnacle of the IOR hulls, underscoring both their enormous qualities and the more unarmed bottom problems, put to the test by the extremely difficult conditions the circuit could encounter.
The most famous of these, undoubtedly, the 1979 edition, won by the Australians but marked by a tragic storm(find the article recounting it here).

1979 was indeed the year of tragedy and, at the same time, the year of the Italian bronze medal.
If, on the one hand, the podium won by Vanina, Yena and Rrose Selavy warmed hearts, on the other, the Fastnet was the disaster that overshadowed it all: 19 souls lost their lives and 20 hulls sank in those 600 miles between Cowes and Plymouth, passing through the Solent and rounding the Fastnet Rock.
A two-day force 11 storm, in fact, wreaked havoc, with winds of up to 63 knots (130 km/h) battering the fleet of 350 hulls, including participants and accompanying boats.
Of the 303 hulls on the starting line, only 86 would make it to the finish line, 194 would retire.
An event that will not only miss, to this day, the most impressive rescue operation ever carried out by the navy in peacetime, but also the very limits of so many of those hulls, too stretched, too extreme not to actually raise criticism and questions.

Tragedies aside, however, the Admiral’s Cup was one of the main drivers of IOR design, an exceptional event that was able to give birth to iconic hulls that, to this day, still make different generations dream.
Hulls that, indeed, should not be forgotten, so should not be forgotten the figures who drew their lines, who made their components and who trod their decks, pursuing victory and the pleasure of simple sailing. That is why we renew our appeal to all enthusiasts: point out to us the IOR Classics, where they are and what state they are in.
We will be grateful; they are memories to be kept alive.

• ENTERING A CLASSIC IOR INTO THE CLASSIC BOAT ARCHIVE IS SUPER EASY: CLICK HERE AND ENTER THE BOAT . ALWAYS HERE, ALSO FIND ALL YOUR CLASSIC BOATS ALREADY SURVEYED

Three “tidbits” about Classic Boats

• Want to learn more about the world of Classic Boats (1967-1998), the iconic boats of the period, the legendary designers, the stories and races of the “golden age” of sailing? Check out our section dedicated to Classic Boats!
• Do you have a Classic Boat to sell? Put it (for free) on our classifieds market!