Cork Week preview

Aside from the Guinness, Ford Cork Week is panning out to be a top regatta

Scoring system rewards excellence

At Ford Cork Week this year a new scoring system is to be introduced which rewards the extra skill in winning in larger fleets and in fleets where there is greater depth of competition. The system is mathematical, transparent and objective and has been shown to give good results for similar multi-class yacht racing events and series. It has been devised by Race Chairman John McWilliam, Honorary Secretary Jamie McWilliam and Bob McPherson, whose results program is being used at For Cork Week, using a formula based on the Etchells and ISAF World Ranking methodology.

Enforced IRM class

At the last Cork Week the top three IRC cruiser racer classes were won by one-offs. To purify the cruiser-racer classes, as announced previously on madfor sailing, the organisers of Cork Week have this year decided that all grand prix race boats will have to compete in an IRM class. The organisers are expecting 50 boats to be taking part in what is being deemed the high performance class.

To get kicked out of an IRC class, under Notice of Race Amendment No 1 it stipulates that boats complying with ALL the following parameters shall compete in the new high performance class under IRM:

- LOA: Greater than 9.0m and less than 16.0
- IRC Series Date: 1995 and later
- IRC Hull Factor: 10.4 and higher
- DLR 145 and below
- IRC TCC: Greater than 1.000 and less than 1.350

The exceptions are boats originally designed to race with a centreline bowsprit or who could demonstrate that their yacht are genuinely uncompetitive or unacceptable under IRM and more suited to IRC. They could apply to the Race Committee before 1 May for dispensation to race in an IRC Class. Equally boats wishing to race under IRM, but not complying with the above could also apply to race under IRM.

As a result the high performance class will include the two Farr 52s Bear of Britain and Team Tonic, several IC45s, Ker 11.3s, Farr 40s, the new Ker 9.8 and Mumms 30 as well as one-offs like Peter Morton's Mills 50 Mandrake, Stephen Bailey's IRM-optimised Sydney 40 Arbitrator, Jason Ker's one-offs Roaring Meg and ShakerMaker II, Christian Stimpson's new IRM 41 and Richard Matthews' new Corby 50.

The idea of forcing race boats to take part in IRM has been widely applauded. "Glad to see your involvement with this remarkable regatta and trying to rationally resolve the IRM issue," commented Geoff Stagg, President of Farr International. While Mandrake's Peter Morton summed up many people's sentiments: "I think your idea is brilliant and you will get my 110% support. If RORC would force/convince the ISC and Cowes Week to do the same thing then IRM will be successful and IRC can be given back to those it belongs to, the Club production cruiser/racer."

IRC

Under IRC the rating bands have been divided up as follows:
 
IRC 0 - 1.109 and above
IRC 1 - 1.070 to 1.108
IRC 2 - 1.037 to 1.070
IRC 3 - 1.008 to 1.036
IRC 4 - 0.968 to 1.007
IRC 5 - 0.939 to 0.968
IRC 6 - 0.911 to 0.938
IRC 7 - up to 0.910

Trip to Auckland

The winning yachts in the IRC and IRM/Sportsboats classes will win prize offered by Peter Harrison's GBR Challenge. Two crew members off each of these yacht will be flown free to Auckland and be looked after out there courtesy of the former Chernikeeff boss' America's Cup campaign.

Pro/am

In terms of pro/am separation at Ford Cork Week, the organisers say they will actively apply ISAF Sailor Group 3 limits to IRC Classes 1 and below. Therefore any crews taking part had to get an Sailor Classification from ISAF by going to their website. At Ford Cork Week 'pro' sailors who classify as Group 3 can only race in IRC Class 0, the IRM class and in the 1720.