New ORC Superyacht Rules now available

Like the main ORC rating system, the rule and its formulation is accessible in the Rules section of the ORCsy webpage, supporting the general principles of science and transparency advocated by ORC.

The latest edition of ORCsy has several new features: The new online application for an ORCsy certificate is now more easily completed by its users, where separate areas of the application may be completed and saved as more information becomes available. This new application style is still in development, with a working prototype to be tested in Antigua by experienced users for their inputs on improvements;

Based on user input and observations from the 2017 racing season, small amendments and improvements have been made to the 2018 version of the ORCsy Velocity Prediction Program (VPP), and wind ranges for scoring have altered slightly so that the Light wind range now tops out at 8 knots rather than 9, along with some re-wording to be more clear on use of these ranges;

The VPP Documentation and Measurement Guidance books have been re-worded to improve their clarity, as has the ORCsy Sailor Services system for self-serve copies of existing valid certificates, self-service running of test certificates, etc.

A complete list of the improvements made to the ORCsy rule formulations can be found on the ORCsy Designer VPP webpage.

Last year 108 ORCsy certificates were issued to these magnificent yachts over 30 m in length, and more are expected this year to be used in the 2018 ORCsy Calendar of eight events being held in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and the USA.

“We are very pleased with all the hard work by the ORC technical team in addition to Jim Taylor and the Super Yacht Racing Association (SYRA) for assisting in making these important improvements to the 2018 ORCsy,” said Bruno Finzi, Chairman of ORC.

“This rule is very complex due to the difficulty in trying to openly provide fair and consistent handicaps to these large beautiful yachts and the way they sail, yet for the last three years we have proven that this collaborative approach works well. We look forward to Antigua this week to start our fourth season of cooperation with SYRA to help produce regattas that are competitive, popular and being enjoyed by everyone involved.”

For more information on ORC and its rules, classes and events, visit orc.org