Onion Patch goes IRC

Series now to be scored under the one rule

Late last year the New York Yacht Club adopted IRC for its rating rule for handicap racing through 2007. In January, the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club also adopted IRC for all handicap racing hosted by their club. The Newport Bermuda Race will also be raced under IRC along with ORR. The Onion Patch committee- consisting of two members from each of The New York Yacht Club, The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and The Cruising Club of America- confirms that they will score the entire series under the IRC rating rule.

“The 2006 Onion Patch Series consists of the New York Yacht Annual Regatta, the Centennial Bermuda Race co-organized by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and the Cruising Club of America, and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Anniversary Regatta,” said Onion Patch Chairman John Mendez of the New York Yacht Club. “Both the NYYC and RBYC had decided to score all of their club events with IRC which is recognized by ISAF as an international rating system,“ Mendez noted, “Now that the Bermuda Race Organizers have decided to race under IRC and ORR, the Onion Patch Committee has decided to score the entire series under IRC. We didn’t feel we could have an equitable event unless all entries race the same courses under the same rules. In addition, the committee and event organizers agreed that the use of IRC as the series scoring system could influence greater participation in this International event.”

The RBYC vice Commodore Andrew Cox stated, “The centennial year of the Bermuda Race is a wonderful opportunity for us to encourage sailors of all nations to compete in the series under a truly International rating system. We certainly want to give sailors the type of racing they want in order to foster broad participation in the Centennial Bermuda Race, and we want to make it more attractive for international competition in the Onion Patch Series. The Onion Patch Trophy that the RBYC originally presented was first competed for in 1964 and the Centennial of the Bermuda Race would be the best time to see participation in the event expand.”

In 2006, all races of the NYYC Annual Regatta in Newport June 9-11th will once again be part of the series schedule. The Cruising Club of America/Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Newport Bermuda Race that starts June 16th is the ocean race for the series. All races of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Anniversary Regatta are scheduled for June 23rd in Bermuda.

The Onion Patch racing in Bermuda will continue to use the new format introduced in 2004. There will be one short Windward/Leeward race in the Great Sound and a longer “round the buoys” course planned with the start in the Great Sound, a course around multiple marks, with the finish in Hamilton Harbour near Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. The club marina will provide an excellent spectator vantage point to view the finish of the series and will tie into the special celebrations planned for the Centennial Bermuda Race.

The Onion Patch Series is organized by the New York Yacht Club (NYYC), the Cruising Club of America (CCA) and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC) and is open to all Racing and Cruiser/RacerDivision yachts with IRC certificates entered in the 2006 Newport Bermuda Race. All yachts will race as individual entries, but are encouraged to form three-boat teams to compete for the Onion Patch Trophy. The Henry B. du Pont Trophy is awarded to the best scoring individual yacht participating in the series. The first yacht on IRC corrected time in the Bermuda Race that is a competitor in the Onion Patch Series will be awarded the Catherine Hollis Memorial Trophy. Onion Patch prizes will be awarded at the NewportBermuda Race Prize Giving Ceremony Saturday June 24th at 18:30 by invitation.

The series is open to IRC rated yachts entered in the 2006 Centennial Newport Bermuda Race that are eligible to compete in the NYYC Annual Regatta and the RBYC Anniversary Regatta.

Yachts that cannot enter the entire series may enter the Bermuda Race or either of the other individual regattas held at NYYC or RBYC.

Notices of Race for individual events may be obtained by visiting the website of the individual organization: http://www.nyyc.org/ or http://www.onionpatchseries.com/