The IRC rating rule is catching on quickly in the United States; the number of certificates issued is surpassing all expectations. The Storm Trysail Club and many other prominent yacht clubs throughout the U.S. joined together to adopt the IRC rule to revive the sagging interest in offshore racing. The IRC rating is meant to be more user-friendly and less expensive than the moribund IMS, yet more sophisticated less subjective than PHRF. The largest IRC fleet to date in the USA was at Block Island Race Week where 107 boats competed for the overall award in the 18-mile Around The Island Race.
Instead of basing handicaps on the Time on Distance model (seconds per mile), IRC uses Time on Time. To help sailors get used to the Time on Time, we are offering a calculator that can be used to judge how you are doing against your competition based on how long you''ve been on the race course. The calculator can also be used to determine approximately who won before the official results have been posted. You can find the IRC Time Calculator in the IRC Center on our site or by clicking here.
This is just one part of our IRC Center ,which teaches sailors about this new handicap rating rule. In the IRC Center you�ll find articles explaining the history of the rule, how to get measured, and more.
In an interview published in SEAHORSE magazine, Storm Trysail Club Commodore Richard duMoulin, said, �It is clear to us that PHRF is a wonderful entry-level rule, great for local low-key events and to attract newcomers into handicap racing. But to preserve PHRF in this role we need a strong mid-level rule like IRC.�
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