Races scored using the ORC Club rating system offers clubs and owners something above the arbitrary and often capricious nature of performance handicapping.

The ORC Club rating certificate is based on a boat’s measurement data which under the system’s rules can be owner supplied. ORC Club is designed to be an entry level rating system based on science and a Velocity Prediction Program (VPP) managed by some of the world’s best designers and naval architects.

That the system uses the boat’s data, even if owner declared, to generate a rating, and a VPP, the scoring of races is based on a reasonable assessment of the boat’s potential performance, rather than the ‘somewhat fluid’ numbers often generated by a performance handicapping system.

Scoring for events run using ORC Club can be either Time on Time (ToT) or Time on Distance (ToD) and the Sailing Instructions will specify which will be used for scoring at any given event. Generally, ToT is preferred throughout Australia where there is a large diversity in boat types, and for distance races.

If an Organising Authority wished, events could use ToD. Tables can be provided online to estimate corrected time allowances among competitors for each course type and wind speed. However, it is important to note that these tables are guides only and that only the Race Committee can produce official results.

Because of the difference in how designs can perform on certain course types, ORC Club offers several options for events. The Sailing Instructions can say whether a race will be scored using the windward leeward, or general purpose single number ratings. The former is self-explanatory, and the latter is geared for courses where there is expected to be a mix of wind angles and speeds.

Like its more advanced and older sibling ORCi, there are also the triple number scoring options. These allow a sophisticated race committee to score races in accordance with the given wind conditions. There are three wind ranges, Low which is up to 8 knots, Medium for 9 to 16 knots, and High for 17 knots and above. The wind speed matters when it comes to accuracy. Displacement yachts will perform differently to planning hull and most areas in Australia have light breezes that kick on and become a cracking sea breeze in the afternoon.

Many contemporary race management systems are aligned with ORC Club as well. TopYacht and SailSys, as examples, tap into the ORC’s database daily to ensure their systems are using the latest ratings for entrants in events using the systems. 

ORC Club’s data based assessment of yachts, and the VPP based rating numbers it offers fair scoring of races. The various scoring options give the race committee choice to allow for the course type being sailed.

Information on ORC Club can be found at https://www.sailingresources.org.au/ratingshome_2020/orc_2020/
Information on ORC scoring options can be found at https://www.orc.org/index.asp?id=31

By Glen Stanaway