With three international rating systems in play in Australia there are subtle variations in what data requires measuring.

So, does your rating system require data to be measured by an Australian Sailing appointed measurer? The answer is yes, or no, but the outcome may be the same. Stay with us, this will make sense.

ORC International (ORCi) is quite strict, indeed it is quoted at being "meticulous". The rule requires that measurements shall be taken from the yacht. Measurers for ORCi shall be appointed by the ORC or Australian Sailing. All boats new to ORCi, or changes to existing boats must be measured by an official measurer. Only in the most exceptional circumstances will the ORC approve the use of plans or other sources of information that they consider reliable. All ORCi certificates in Australia have been through the same rigour.

IRC, at least in Australia, requires exactly the same. Boats and their changes must be measured by an Australian Sailing appointed measurer. The IRC rule itself actually allows for owner supplied data and this is common practice in some other countries. In Australia however, uniform feedback from clubs led Australian Sailing to implement a policy that we should only issue ‘Endorsed’ certificates which are based on measurement. Note the term ‘Endorsed’ is specific to IRC and does not appear in other rating rules. The policy position of requiring IRC certificates to be Endorsed dates back some decades to when IMS fell out of favour and IRC became the go-to rating system. This is still the case in Australia, IRC is the predominant rating system used to determine prestigious trophies. Only in the most exceptional circumstances will Australian Sailing approve the use of data provided by the owner. The overwhelming majority of IRC certificates in Australia have been through this rigour.

ORC Club (ORCc) does not require measurement like its sibling ORCi, nor does it provide an option to issue Endorsed certificates like IRC. Under the ORCc rating rule, a certificate may be issued with less than complete measurements and may be declared by the owner. Data can even be obtained from any source, including photos, drawings, designs, data from identical or similar boats. The ORCc certificate is cheaper, but comes with much less expert scrutiny.

So what does a fleet or club do if they doubt the accuracy of data used for an ORCc rating? The answer lays in the Racing Rules of Sailing, specifically the role of a technical committee appointed under rule 89.2(c). Whilst Australian Sailing cannot require measurement for an ORCc rating, clubs running the racing can. The technical committee can conduct equipment inspection and measurement of boats with an ORCc rating, if directed by the organising authority. Ideally this will happen prior to racing so as to prevent problems. What Australian Sailing can do is help induct the people who will be used on a technical committee on understanding the ORCc system and taking measurements. The rigour of an ORCc rating in Australia is not the same and clubs should note this.

Our advice is that when a rating system is being used for a prestigious trophy, one of the two fully measured systems be used. If a club using ORCc has reason to doubt a boat’s rating, use the technical committee to run some checks.

For information about rating systems click here.
For the Racing Rules of Sailing and the role of a technical committee click here.

By Glen Stanaway https://www.sailing.org.au/about/ourstaff/