IRC Rating 2023

2023 Renewals for South East Asia will commence from 1st May. Forms will be available for download in the Forms and Downloads section.

1. Boats rated in 2021/2022: we do not need a revalidation form completed if there are no changes to the boat/data just drop us an email confirming no changes to info@irc-sea.com
2. For change of ownership or contact details please attach a revalidation form and send to info@irc-sea.com.
3. For boats not rated in 2021 or 2022, please complete a revalidation form and confirm the pole type, number of spinnakers, and whisker pole in addition to any changes. 

The current Rules and Definitions are published on

https://www.irc-sea.com.

Changes are clearly marked with a sidebar. You can also find the detailed documents regarding rule changes on the website.  

A major change for 2023 is the new Secondary certificate which incorporates the short-handed certificate and offers more options for different configurations.

If you change configuration between e.g. crewed/short-handed or inshore/offshore racing you may apply for a separate Secondary certificate, see IRC Rule 8.2.1. You must hold a primary certificate before you can apply for a secondary certificate.

Note: for a Secondary configuration there is no rating adjustment for a reduced number of crew. 

IRC certificate now includes page 2 drawings

As a major development for 2023 the IRC certificate now includes Page 2 which shows an approximate image of your boat, rig and sails created from the rated data. This will help you visualise the data for your boat, and those of competitors’ boats if you purchase a copy certificate.

Please look through your certificate to familiarise yourself with the layout.

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Frequently asked questions:

Amended certificate. IRC rules state that physical changes which might affect the performance of the boat shall be declared and may invalidate the rating certificate; in this case you must apply for a certificate amendment with the new data. If you are in any doubt please contact your Rule Authority for advice.

If you buy new sails, even if designed as the same sizes as before, these need to be declared with the new data (officially measured if your certificate is Endorsed). 

Change of Ownership (Re-registration)

If you sell your boat and the new owner wishes to race it, or if you buy a boat with a current full IRC certificate, the new owner needs to apply for Re-registration.

If selling your boat, make sure that suitable arrangements are made regarding your sail number if you wish to transfer it to another boat. 

Age Allowance is automatically applied to boats over 3 years old, but it is a small part of the calculation. It cannot be assumed that the rating will reduce each year because of age allowance.

Age allowance hasnow been extended beyond 20 years, giving a small amount of additional credit to boats built pre-2000.

Flying Headsails The rating formulation for flying headsails has been updated such that flying headsail rating effect will be lower for both with and without a spinnaker.

Rig Factor: As well as the rig configuration, varying rig and sail measurements can also have an impact on the RF calculation and may be the reason RF differs between two boats with the same rig controls listed on the certificate.  Mast material is rated separately and is not part of the RF calculation.

Spinnaker Poles with No Spinnaker. Following the rule change allowing a headsail to be poled out to windward with no rating effect, an inconsistency was found in the calculation of non-spinnaker TCC for boats rated with a spinnaker pole (whisker pole to windward). The formulation has now been updated so that the spinnaker pole is ignored for the non-spinnaker rating.

Crew limitations IRC Crew Number is not variable by a boat and has no effect on TCC. However, note that the default limit is the crew weight (shown next to the crew number on the cert), so you are limited to that as a maximum weight unless the Notice of Race for the event modifies IRC Rule 22.4.