All-carbon IRC 46

Simon Rogers talks to us about his new full-on race boat

An interesting new boat to watch out for this summer on the Solent will be the new Simon Rogers-designed IRC 46 footers Danebury Vineyards and Yeoman for owners Ernst Piech and RORC's new Commodore, David Aisher.

"We saw Patches' performance during Cowes Week and I was thrilled that we had the opportunity to sail within IRC on a light displacement boat," says Rogers of how the concept of his new design came about. "I haven’t done a lot of work in IRC in recent years because a good job is being done by the production boats but there is an opportunity to sail light displacement race boats within IRC now and that is a real breath of fresh air."

The boat has also been prompted by the success of the TP52 class in the Med. "The TP52 has exploded because people want to have fun," continues Rogers (left). "Owners are fed up with hanging around. They have been messing around in IMS for years going slowly and I think the opportunity arose to have a fun, fast boat for the same sort of money and have some excitement and enjoy it. Which is why things have taken off for them."

The Rogers IRC 46 has been acquired by Piech and Aisher, both owners looking for a step up or on from their existing yachts (Piech has been chartering IMX40s and racing them with his family for the last few years, while Aisher comes from one of UK sailboat racing's great dynasties) without having to go the whole hog by getting a TP52. A third IRC 46 has already been sold and Rogers is confident of being on the verge of selling two more. "Most of the people have come out of production boats and are looking for something a little more spicy, wanting to move up and challenge themselves a bit."

Rogers describes the IRC 46 as a small TP52 - a fun boat without the $1 million price tag as he puts it. The boats are being constructed on the eastern side to the Thai peninsula at a new yard called CMI. CMI is a joint venture between some western investors and Cobra, the world's largest manufacturer of windsurfers. The build team is being led by Jonathan 'Pom' Green, son of Bill of Green Marine fame, who has been behind the construction of many top race boats most notably Prada's America's Cup challengers. Green is using many people from his America's Cup build team at the new yard in Thailand.

Work started on the first boat, Danebury Vineyards, in October. Construction is in carbon fibre over Corecell, but it is wet lay-up rather than pre-preg. "We haven’t gone pre-preg or for a full Nomex core, particularly because of IRC," explains Rogers. "Above 50ft one can justify going to Nomex, but it does add cost, the boats are more susceptible to damage. Corecell is a good closed cell foam core and we have chosen it because if you bash it, it has a memory and recovers."

A female mould is being used for the hull, while the deck is being constructed over a male plug. Female moulding the hull will save the weight of filler to finish the outside - boats can even be clear coated to show off the carbon construction. It also makes for a truer one design says Rogers. The deck is male moulded as the finish externally is less important as it is covered in GripTex and a good finish internally does away with the need for the additional weight of a deck liner.

Green is taking care that all appendages, keels, rudders, rigs, hulls, deck and internal and primary structure is identical. Rogers says he is keen to allow some modifications in deck layout. "The owner can modify it and go for transverse tracks, hydraulic outhauls and backstays, play around with winches, things that are more personal preference. I think people spending that type of money want to have some fun with it as well."

There are also choices to be made over whether or not to fit a coffee grinder and whether to go for a spinnaker pole or a bow sprit (all the boats have the structure put in to accept a spinnaker pole, so this is a relatively straightforward retro-fit). The first three boats will all have asymmetric spinnakers, but these will be flown from poles. "The pedestal has been driven by the asymmetric choice, so that you can get the line-speed and drum speed for the gybes," says Rogers. "But it is right on the crossover as to whether you really need a pedestal. For the upwind sails there is no need as all, but for the downwind sails it is preferable." Pedestals are being fitted on the first three boats.

Part of the design brief has been to keep the boat as light as possible. The IRC 46 weighs 6.2 tonnes compared to the DK46 at 8.3 tonnes as this not only increases reaching and downwind performance, but is also better under IRC reckons Rogers.

"With IRC you go down one of two routes - either the heavy displacement route with a very good displacement hull form or you go down a very light displacement route - but for god’s sake don’t do anything in the middle," he maintains. "As far as the light displacement boats are concerned they reach and go downhill very quickly and one of the reasons we have gone for a 46 rather than a 45 footer is that we can guarantee that they are going to get around the top mark first and not get caught in traffic and then can make our jump and save our time then."

Upwind Rogers estimates the IRC 46 will be 0.2-0.3 knots quicker than a Farr 45, DK46, J/133 or Swan 45 and will hold her own on rating while downwind nothing will get near her other than a TP52. "The thing is - if you go down the light displacement route you mustn’t chase the downward spiral and try and make the boat slower under IRC, you have to go the other way," Rogers advises. "But with a displacement boat take sail off and get your rating down because the boat will go a certain speed and it only needs a certain amount to get up to hull speed and after that it is superfluous and it is really just costing you in rating. With a light displacement boat it is completely opposite - you have to make the boat as fast as you possibly can. So you need to get planning as early as you possibly can in order to make that jump."

Like the TP52, Rogers anticipates the IRC 46 will be quick and this is all down to the combination of light displacement, powerful sail area on a stiff hull. Much of this comes from the use of carbon fibre. "You get a lot of longitudinal strength, and they are very stiff boats so they accelerate quickly. When you get a zephyr or wind coming through the boat accelerates plus you are minimising pitching and you can drop the VCG very considerably."

The full structural weight of the boat for example is around 1,100kg painted. "And then there is a three ton bulb, so there is a lot of ballast low down," continues Rogers. "And the rig is simple, like the 52s, with swept back spreaders, a fixed backstay although we might go twin backstays (within IRC you can have twin standing backstays so that you can go for the big roach profiles if you want to) although I think with the new 22% upper girth that will negate that issue anyway. We have gone for a long J measurement because of wave action in light airs so that you have a bit of grunt. The bigger the J goes, and the lower the aspect ratio of the sails, the quicker the boat is through the water."

While some might question the suitability of certainly the Med breed of TP52s as being good offshore boats the IRC 46 is designed very much with offshore in mind. David Aisher in particular is keen on a boat he campaign competitively in RORC races. Rogers says that compared to a TP52, the IRC 46 has a little more displacement for its length because it has more interior to go offshore, but this has been dictated by the owners who want the boat to be able to get across the Channel or around the Fastnet Rock in a blow.

Down below the layout also is designed for offshore racing with pipecots - in the saloon area the top drops down to form a seat back for the lower one. Kites come down through the forehatch and can be led aft. The saloon table is located in the middle of the boat allowing sails to be stowed either side of it. The mast comes down through the shower cubicle to keep the 'wet area' in one place.

There is enough interior fit-out to make it good for offshore racing, but not so much so that you have to worry about trashing it when sails are being moved around below, maintains Rogers. "If you have a Beneteau or an X-Yacht or any production boat there is just a bit too much interior in them. When you are sail handling and have wet sails down below and they are getting knocked around there doesn’t seem to be a lot of sense putting money and weight into the boat with an interior that is going to get damaged."

At present the boat isn't being sold as a one design, but clearly there is the potential for this in the future depending upon numbers sold. Also in the back of Rogers' mind with the design of this boat is that if RORC ever do launch their new Grand Prix Rule then he would hope that the IRC 46 (as well as the TP52) will fall neatly within it. "It would be a good IRM boat so I think if you own a TP52 or one of these boats, you can’t be a million miles away."

Under IRC the boat is certified to sail with 13 inshore and probably 10 offshore. Rogers obtained the first 2006 IRC certificate for her which came out at 1.27. In comparison Patches for example was 1.344 in IRC mode. Rogers says there are few other boats rating around 1.27 - the heavier DK46 for example is 1.205/1.207.

Price-wise the IRC 46 costs £325,000 delivered to the UK with a B&G Hercules system but ex-sails and safety gear. Aside from the pedestal and pole/bowsprit, another interesting option is the possibility of fitting a rig made of high modulus (M40J) rather than normal modulus carbon fibre. The first three boats have taken up this option so Rogers is considering making it 'standard'.

"The USP of our 46 is that it is a unique carbon fibre proper race boat at a production boat price," sums up Rogers. "It is sensibly priced. You get a lot of performance. Also people can play around at club level and don’t feel they have to go to the Med to go and do the TP52 circuit."

The first boat is expected in the UK mid to late June and could just about make the Rolex Commodores Cup. However its first real outing is expected to be Skandia Cowes Week or RORC's Round Britain Race.