Australian Sailing has been hosting meetings of the Owners’ Working Group periodically to discuss issues which are of interest and link to keelboat owners in Australia.

At their recent meeting, the Owners’ Working Group mainly looked at matters concerning the IRC rating system. The IRC Congress is being held on 15 October 2022 and this is the opportunity for Australian Sailing to influence how IRC is managed and governed. There is a desire to review IRC Rule 21.1.5(d) concerning whether sails must be carried on board for the whole regatta. Another area of interest is how ‘dry sailed’ boats are rated, with a perceived performance advantage by not being anti-fouled.

Chris Zonca from Australian Sailing’s management team and David Griffith from the Owners’ Working Group would attend the IRC Congress online and represent Australia’s interests. Submissions to change an IRC rule or policy must be submitted in accordance with the timeframes set by the Congress’s constitution. Any boat owners or clubs wanting to change an IRC rule or policy should contact Australian Sailing as soon as possible at ratings@sailing.org.au to discuss the issue.

Future championships were also of interest. Boat owners will see that the Australian Yachting Championship has been allocated to clubs through to 2025. This is important because it enables long term planning of campaigns. The Owners Working Group is also interested in making sure a Double Handed Australian Championship is provided for.

For information about IRC and ORC ratings click here.
The background to the Owners’ Working Group can be read here.

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