Bulb Weight Changes for 2020

BULB WEIGHT

There are various rule changes for 2020 and these include the bulb weight definition.

Bulb Weight – the weight of the Bulb and any part of the Keel below the upper surface of thebulb (including connection plates, under-fin spacers and infills).

Please note that we have not asked every boat to check and confirm their bulb weight at revalidation as for most boats the bulb weight increase from a standard fin attachment plate is insignificant in rating terms.

IRC’s primary focus is on the boats with overly large connections such as the Maxi 72s, TP52s, etc. and the need to deter exploitation of the IRC bulb weight definition.

The number of boats for which this definition change is significant is a very small percentage of the IRC fleet, and for this reason we did not overtly request bulb weight from every boat at revalidation; however the bulb weight definition change for 2020 has been widely publicised.

It is the owner's responsibility to ensure that any change to the rated bulb weight to comply with the 2020 definition is declared at revalidation.