9:45 AM Wed 31 Mar 2010 GMT
Yachting Australia will soon be sending out revalidation packs to all current IRC boat owners to renew their rating certificate for the 2010 season.
RORC has advised that technical rule changes for 2010 are minimal, however the most significant change is to Rule 15 regarding manual power. This has been amended to better define the use of stored power for backstays and other running rigging, as well as to include the hoisting of headsails and spinnakers. The use of stored power for the hoisting of mainsails or the reefing or furling of sails does not need to be declared, but declarations will be required for the adjustment or operation of running rigging.
The IRC Rules for 2010 will look significantly different as they now incorporate the ISAF Equipment Rules of Sailing. Boat owners will notice examples of this where previously the length of the hull was referred to as LOA (Length Overall), but is now called LH (Length Hull).
IRC Rule 21.3.4 regarding a boat's whisker pole has also been changed so that boat owners can now brace a headsail by its clew or tack with a spinnaker pole or whisker pole provided that a spinnaker is not set, and the headsail area and LLmax dimensions do not exceed the rated values.
Boat owners should take particular note of IRC Rule 19.2 and must now declare any keel fin fairings with a nominal density, including any cavities and or core material that is significantly lower than the main structural elements of the keel. For the purpose of this rule, a keel fin fairing does not include surface fairing, filling and painting materials up to a total thickness of 10mm, measured normal to the local surface of the keel fin. RORC has also addressed the issue of the trend towards exotic and expensive keel structures.
IRC revalidation packs will be sent to all current 2009 IRC boat owners and 2008 IRC boat owners at the end of April. If you have any further questions regarding the IRC Rating Rule, please do not hesitate to contact the members of the Sport Services team, Amy Howie on (02) 8424 7410 or Susan Veal on (02) 8424 7441.
Further information can be found at:
Yachting Australia
www.yachting.org.au
RORC Rating Office
www.rorcrating.com
IRC Rating website
www.ircrating.org/
by Craig Heydon
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