The Offshore Racing Rule and Americap II™
NEW ISAF Sailor Classification
Some events, like the Newport to Bermuda race limit the number of professionals per boat in the Corinthian and Cruising divisions (see their NOR sections 3.2.5. and 3.2.6). The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) is the authority for determination of that status. For information on how to be classified, go to the ISAF home page www.sailing.org and click on the button marked “Sailors” along the top edge. This will take you to the two-step registration process. Step 1 is to register as an ISAF sailor and step 2 is to complete and submit the classification form. There is no charge for this.
Quick Start for 2008 ~ The 2008 ORR Application can be found here CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION
The 2008 ORR Revalidation forms will be mailed to previous years certificate holders the week of January 14. A form can also be found on the website at: http://www.ussailing.org/offshore/orr/revalidation.asp
Now posted ~ the ORR/Americap Meeting Minutes from the meeting held Thursday, October 25, 2007 at the US SAILING Annual General Meeting in Phoenix. Click Here
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In the fall of 2004, three major US yacht clubs, the
Chicago Yacht Club ,
Cruising Club of America and
Transpacific Yacht Club, joined forces
in an alliance called the Offshore Racing Association (ORA). ORA was formed to promote and support the use of VPP-based handicapping and has undertaken the task of developing a new measurement-based rating rule that provides the fairest handicapping possible. Working in collaboration with US SAILING, ORA has undertake promotional and developmental tasks providing an increased level of manpower not previously directed toward the AMERICAP II™ rule while US SAILING has retained the function of certificate issuance. This new rule which is the next evolution of the AMERICAP II™ rule has been given the name Offshore Racing Rule (ORR) and started to be used in the 2006 racing season. The Offshore Racing Association (ORA) administers the ORR (http://www.offshorerace.org/).
The ORR predicts relative time allowances between boats to permit boats of different sizes, types and ages to compete with the fairest ratings possible. The ORR is an objective rule. Its ratings are based on full measurement of all the speed-related features of sailboats and on a Velocity Prediction Program (VPP) that calculates the speed potential of each boat at any combination of wind speed and course direction. The VPP is a set of algorithms developed through systematic research that use fundamental scientific methods. ORR is intended to be a non-type forming measurement rule that fairly rates properly designed and prepared yachts which are equipped for offshore racing. It must be clearly understood by all who use ORR that it is not a development rule and therefore is not intended for sailors who are looking to “beat” the rule. In order to discourage attempts to design yachts “to the rule”, the algorithms of the VPP are non-public. ORR will be updated on a regular basis to stay ahead of design developments.
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