St Malo race

[Racecruiser]

Looks like it was a good race - records tumbling and I suspect nice conditions. A big entry no doubt boosted by it being a Fastnet year.

I haven't done it for ages and this year's conditions would probably have suited our Elan 295 - most of the small boats finished inside 24 hours. I was at a wedding and my boat partner was otherwise engaged: hey ho!

http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/184186/RORC-Cowes-Dinard-St-Malo-Race

I see Class 4 (the small boats!) was won by Griff Rhys-Jones with his S&S 57 Classic Yawl rating at 0.994 - that's a hell of a rating for 57 feet!

Anyone here involved?

 

[Birdseye]

Curiosity - who gives the IRC numbers to French boats? Is it the RORC or do the French do their own?

 

[lpdsn]

Curiosity - who gives the IRC numbers to French boats? Is it the RORC or do the French do their own?

The French do their own. There's a French counterpart to Mike Urwin - his name escapes me at the moment.

 

[Racecruiser]

The French do their own. There's a French counterpart to Mike Urwin - his name escapes me at the moment.

And some raise eyebrows at the French ratings but that may be unfounded as the successful boats do seem to be sailed very well!

 

[Birdseye]

And some raise eyebrows at the French ratings but that may be unfounded as the successful boats do seem to be sailed very well!

Are they the same as the british ones on identical boat or are they always a bit slacker?

 

[lpdsn]

Are they the same as the british ones on identical boat or are they always a bit slacker?

Some of the French seem to be very good at getting lower ratings. Nothing wrong with the ratings, that I've heard of, when they've been checked. There's quite a persistent belief that somehow they just know what to do to optimise their rating. Of course, sailing well helps, but so does starting with a lower handicap.

 

[Yacht Yogi]

The J/109 fleet looked suspiciously at some of the French ratings; one-design J/109 typically 1.023, UK IRC set up J/109 1.012 to 1.014 and French J/109s rating at 1.003. So somebody took the french boat's sail measurements and did a trial UK rating on their own J/109 hull and it came out the same as the French rating. So it seems on the evidence of one trial that the French are just clever at getting their ratings down and are prepared to go to greater lengths. Most UK J/109s want to keep the option of going back to one-design configuration without the major expense of keeping two sets of sails or having to make too many changes to the boat.

 

[Racecruiser]

The J/109 fleet looked suspiciously at some of the French ratings; one-design J/109 typically 1.023, UK IRC set up J/109 1.012 to 1.014 and French J/109s rating at 1.003. So somebody took the french boat's sail measurements and did a trial UK rating on their own J/109 hull and it came out the same as the French rating. So it seems on the evidence of one trial that the French are just clever at getting their ratings down and are prepared to go to greater lengths. Most UK J/109s want to keep the option of going back to one-design configuration without the major expense of keeping two sets of sails or having to make too many changes to the boat.

I had heard of the J109 differences - hopefully the above indicates there is no skulduggery. Probably ditched the big overlapping genoa for starters....

 

[lpdsn]

I had heard of the J109 differences - hopefully the above indicates there is no skulduggery. Probably ditched the big overlapping genoa for starters....

That's a debate you could have for ever. How did they know just what changes to make to the sails to get a good rating? It's more complex than just having less sail area. I certainly know a few people that reckon there's more 'internal' knowledge of IRC amongst racers in France than there is in England.

 

[Racecruiser]

That's a debate you could have for ever. How did they know just what changes to make to the sails to get a good rating? It's more complex than just having less sail area. I certainly know a few people that reckon there's more 'internal' knowledge of IRC amongst racers in France than there is in England.

Of course you can apply for a trial rating - available here and I guess in France too. Sailmakers and designers have a pretty good idea of how to optimise a rating despite IRC being a 'secret' rule.

I reckon IRC is the least worst rule which probably makes it the best!