US-IRC News

The New 2010 US-IRC Handbook is now available!!

08-Jan-10

US-IRC Foundation working closely with Sailing World magazine is pleased to announce the release of the 2010 US-IRC Handbook. For your convenience, this edition of the Handbook is available in electronic form and can be viewed in two digital versions:

1. Live on Zmags at: http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/885da139#/885da139/1

2. In Adobe PDF format: http://www.sailingworld.com/webfiles/2010_US_IRC_Handbook.pdf

Both versions of the Handbook will be available online throughout the year for your reading at anytime.

Rosebud /Team DYT Wins 2009 US-IRC Gulf Stream Series -- 2010 Series Announced

21-Dec-2009

(December 21, 2009) -- Rosebud/Team DYT, the Reichel/Pugh-designed STP65, sailed by owner Roger Sturgeon of Fort Lauderdale, FL, has won the 2009 US-IRC Gulf Stream Series (GSS) Trophy. The award will be presented next summer at the New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex, which will also host the 2010 Rolex US-IRC National Championship from July 21-24.

"The US-IRC Gulf Stream Series is a fantastic way to judge sailboats on a level playing field," said Sturgeon. "There were plenty of different inshore and offshore races that we could enter to qualify for the series, and the comprehensive ratings system allowed for boats to be ranked against each other in an extremely fair manner. Rosebud/Team DYT is optimized for all-around racing, not just downwind or upwind, and this series is a true test of all racing conditions. The GSS scoring formula is complicated enough that we didn't know if we actually won the series. It is an honor we proudly accept, and we challenge others to campaign their way to the top next year."

On the way to winning the fourth annual US-IRC GSS, Rosebud/Team DYT logged some impressive finishes. It finished first in the Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race, Pineapple Cup Montego Bay Race, Ft. Lauderdale to Charleston Race and Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex. It also finished second in the Acura Key West Race Week and the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta presented by Rolex before going to Europe where its successful season there ended with a fallen rig in rough conditions at the Rolex Middle Sea Race.

Finishing second overall for the 2009 US-IRC GSS series was Privateer, a Cookson 50 owned and skippered by Ron O'Hanley (Ipswich, Mass.). The boat finished first at the Pineapple Cup Montego Bay Race and Block Island Race Week, second in the Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race, Acura Key West Race Week and New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta, and third at the Ida Lewis Distance Race.

"US-IRC is delighted to have had two excellent programs at the top of this year's GSS," said US-IRC President John Brim, who won the series in 2008. "The wide range of events these two boats entered in 2009 show the great diversity of the Gulf Stream Series, and we are looking forward to an exciting and expanded series for 2010."

Brim explained that 19 events will make up the 2010 GSS (an increase of three events over last year), with events running as far north as Newport, R.I., and this year stretching deeper into the Caribbean to include the second running of the RORC's Caribbean 600.

2010 US-IRC Gulf Stream Series Announced

The US-IRC Gulf Stream Series (GSS), America's only year-long racing series that spans the entire East Coast of the U.S.A. and Caribbean islands, returns for its fifth annual running in 2010 with an expanded list of events that starts with the 2009 Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race (January 13) and ends with the Storm Trysail Club IRC East Coast Championship (October 29-31).

The 2010 series will follow the format of the 2009 series with a few minor differences.

o Yachts will be entered in the series automatically when they compete in their first series event. All yachts that qualify by sailing the required number of long distance, medium distance and regatta events will be scored for the series.

o The races and regattas will be divided into three groups as they have been in the past. To qualify for the series a boat must participate in the required number of events from Group 1 - Buoy Races (5 required), Group 2- Medium Distance Races (2 required) and Group 3 - Long Distance Races (1 required).

o The Groups are:

Group 1 - Buoy Races (5 events required)
Key West Race Week, January 13, 2010
Miami Grand Prix, March 4-7, 2010
International Rolex Regatta, March 26-28, 2010
Charleston Race Week, April 8-11, 2010
American Yacht Club Spring Series, April/May 2010
New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta presented by Rolex, June 11-13, 2010
New York Yacht Club Race Week by at Newport presented Rolex/Rolex US-IRC National Championship, July 21-24, 2010
US-IRC Long Island Sound Championship, September 18-19, 2010
American Yacht Club Fall Series, September, 2010
Storm Trysail Club IRC East Coast Championship, October 29-31, 2010

Group 2 - Medium Distance Races (2 events required)
Ft. Lauderdale to Key West Race, January 13, 2010
Miami to Nassau Race, November, 2010
Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race, May 21, 2010
Around Long Island Regatta, July 29, 2010
Ida Lewis Distance Race, August 20, 2010
Stamford Vineyard Race, September 3, 2010

Group 3 - Long Distance Races (1 event required)
Ft. Lauderdale to Charleston Race, March 31, 2010
Newport to Bermuda Race, June 18, 2010
Royal Ocean Racing Club Caribbean 600, February 2, 2010

For more information on the US-IRC Gulf Stream Series and US-IRC Foundation, please visit www.us-irc.org or contact Luiz Kahl at luiz@us-irc.org

More About US-IRC

The US-IRC Foundation, Inc. (www.us-irc.org) works in cooperation with US Sailing (www.ussailing.org) to support and develop the use of the IRC rule in the USA. US Sailing is the authorized body that issues IRC certificates under the auspices of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) (www.rorcrating.com). The US-IRC Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of leading offshore sailors from throughout the US.

The US-IRC's mission is to promote and enhance inshore and offshore yacht racing throughout the country by expansion of the use of the rule. Supporting partners for the US-IRC rule this year are Rolex Watch U.S.A., Inc., New York Yacht Club, Storm Trysail Club, St. Francis Yacht Club and Oak Hill Yacht Club.

The IRC has been granted "international" status by ISAF. It has been in existence since 1999 (adopted in the U.S. in 2004) and is now the basis for more than 8000 certificates issued in over 35 countries and 625 IRC yachts active in the U.S.

For more information on US-IRC, contact Luiz Kahl, (313) 886-4539, luiz@us-irc.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Barby MacGowan, Media Pro Int’l for US-IRC, (401) 849-0220, barby.macgowan@mediapronewport.com; Luiz Kahl, US-IRC, (313) 886-4539, luiz@us-irc.org

New York Yacht Club Race Week Will Add Spice to Summer Sailing and Serve as Rolex US-IRC National Championship

14-Dec-09

December 14, 2009 - When it comes around again next summer, the seventh biennial New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex will be one of the most anticipated regattas in the country. No other sailing event has its unique split format for One-Design, Classic, 12 Metre and PHRF championships in the beginning of the week (Saturday, July 17-Monday, July 19) and IRC racing at the back end (Wednesday, July 21- Saturday, July 24) or the propensity for delivering that extra something that keeps it on the priority list for sailors serious about mixing hard-core competition with a compelling story line and good fun. In 2008, host New York Yacht Club embellished Race Week activities with the unforgettable 100th birthday celebration of America's legendary yacht designer Olin J. Stephens; in 2010, the club will ramp up for the integration of the Rolex US-IRC National Championship, an annual event that last year was held on the West Coast and this year is expected to attract participants from all corners of the country.

"The two sessions allow competitors to choose between a short week and a long week," said Event Chair Peter Cummiskey. "For instance, the NYYC Swan 42 class has chosen Race Week at Newport as the venue for its national championship and the J/109 class will be sailing its North Americans for the first part of the week, but some owners will also enter their boats in the IRC racing during the second half. Some crew who sail One-Design in the first half of the week undoubtedly will find rides for the second half during IRC. It all depends on the time, opportunities and competitive appetites of individual sailors."

Race Committee Chair John Myles added that there is no racing anticipated on Tuesday, July 20, allowing a day to switch to IRC configuration and facilitate crew changes. A mix of short course and middle-distance racing is planned for the IRC racers, depending on conditions. The Rolex US-IRC National Championship will end with a Rolex gala and awards banquet on Saturday, July 24.

Both segments of Race Week will feature NYYC's notable race management team, beautiful sailing on the waters of Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound, convenient access to the largest concentration of world class offshore racing support facilities in North America, daily social gatherings and technical briefings, and the hospitality of the New York Yacht Club's entire membership and staff. Rolex timepieces will be awarded for best overall performances in Classic, One-Design and IRC divisions.

Large fleets are anticipated for this premier event, with many traveling to the area to compete in the 2010 Newport to Bermuda Race and Onion Patch Series, the latter of which kicks off with the 156th NYYC Annual Regatta presented by Rolex (June 11-13). Last year, 105 yachts entered the Annual Regatta; two years ago, a Newport to Bermuda Race year, 110 yachts competed. The tradition of the Annual Regatta began at the New York Yacht Club's original clubhouse in Hoboken, N.J., in 1845, during its second year of existence.

Rolex Watch U.S.A. has been the exclusive presenting sponsor of NYYC events since 1994.

For more information, owners, class representatives, and the yachting press should contact the New York Yacht Club Sailing Office (phone 401-845-9633; fax 401-846-3303); email sailingoffice@nyyc.org or visit www.nyyc.org,

Media Contact:
Barby MacGowan
Media Pro International
barby.macgowan@mediapronewport.com
401-225-0249 mobile
or
Michael Levitt, communications@nyyc.org

International Media Contact
Key Partners (KPMS)
T: +41 32 724 28 29
F: +41 32 724 28 33
Email: info@regattanews.com
Web: www.regattanews.com
www.kpms.com

Decision IV Named 2009 IRC East Coast Champion

02-Nov-09

Annapolis, Md. (Nov. 2, 2009) – After three days and six races, just three seconds separated Stephen Murray Jr.’s (New Orleans, La.) TP 52 Decision IV from Mike Williamson’s (New Castle, N.H.) King 40 White Heat in the battle to claim the overall title at the 2009 IRC East Coast Championship. In total, 38 yachts raced in five classes at the event, held October 30-November 1, 2009, with overall results calculated on average corrected speed for each of the class winners for the entire regatta. (Decision IV sailed in IRC Class 1 while White Heat sailed in IRC Class 3.)

“This is a very prestigious regatta, with great race management and top-notch competition,” said Murray, who also raced in the 2007 IRC East Coast Championship. “We really wanted to make the commitment to win it. We came to Annapolis a month before this regatta so we could race locally, tune the boat and improve our performance. I’m happy to say that effort paid off.”

This marked the ninth year that the East Coast Championship was organized by the Storm Trysail Club’s Chesapeake Station and the fifth year it was run under the IRC rule. The Storm Trysail Club has long been a strong advocate for IRC racing in the U.S.

Conditions ranged from 7-23 knots over three days of racing, with light rain leading ahead of a cold front on Sunday. In Class 1, the standings couldn’t have been tighter with Decision IV scoring 17.5 points vs. 18.0 points posted by the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy’s (King’s Point, N.Y.) STP 65 Vanquish (ex-Moneypenny); third place went to Richard Oland’s (Rothesay, New Brunswick, Canada) Southern Cross 52 Vela Veloce, which amassed 24 points.

Class 2 featured a one-design start for six Farr 40s. Matt Beer’s (Washington, D.C.) Sundance won the class over Preben Ostberg/Todd Olds/Bud Dailey’s (Annapolis) Tsunami; third place went to Kevin McNeil’s (Annapolis) Night Shift. Racing was very close, with four of the six boats winning at least one race each.

Class 3 was won by Williamson’s White Heat on the strength of three bullets in six races; second place went to David Murphy’s (Westport, Conn.) J/122 Pugwash, followed by Marc Glimcher’s (New York, N.Y.) J/122 Catapult.

In Class 4, Ed and Molly Freitag’s (Annapolis) Beneteau 40.7 Down Time won, followed by Bill Sweetser’s (Annapolis) J/109 Rush. This broke Sweetser’s multi-year dynasty in the class, while third place went to Mdsn. Jason Mazzoni’s (USNA-Annapolis) Navy 44 Swift.

Class 5 held a one-design start for seven Beneteau 36.7s, with Peter Firey’s (Vienna, Va.) Pegasus narrowly defeating Jim Keen’s (Solomons, Md.) Foxtrot Corpen and Don Finkle’s (Youngstown, N.Y.) KA’IO coming in third.

For more information, visit www.stormtrysail.org or contact Event Chair Bill Kardash,
443-994-5706 (m).

About the Storm Trysail Club

The Storm Trysail Club, reflecting in its name the sail which sailors must shorten when facing adverse conditions, is one of the world’s most respected sailing clubs, with its membership comprised strictly of skilled blue water and ocean racing sailors. In addition to holding various prestigious offshore racing events (among them the Block Island Race, Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race and Pineapple Cup Montego Bay Race), STC hosts the biennial Block Island Race Week presented by Rolex and works year-round to grow the sport of ocean racing. It was one of the early leaders in establishing and promoting the use of the IRC rating system in North America, and it has developed, with the Transpacific Yacht Club, the Storm Trysail Transpac 65. With an added mission to encourage young sailors to become big-boat racers, the Storm Trysail Foundation hosts the annual Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta in addition to several Junior Safety-at-Sea Seminars.

Place, Yacht Name, Type, Owner/Skipper, Hometown, Results, Total Points

IRC 1 (IRC - 8 Boats)
1. Decision IV, Botin-Carkeek 52 52, Stephen Murray, New Orleans, LA, USA - 1.5, 3, 2, 2, 4, 5; 17.5
2. Vanquish, STC 65 65', USMMA Sailing Foundation Steitz, King Point, NY, USA - 12, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1; 18
3. Vela Veloce, Southern Cross 52 52', Richard Oland, Rothesay, NB, CAN - 9, 1, 5, 4, 2, 3; 24

IRC 2 - Farr 40 (IRC - 6 Boats)
1. Sundance, Farr 40 40, Gary Beer, Washington, DC, USA - 1.5, 1, 2, 2, 6, 2; 14.5
2. Tsunami, Farr 40 40, Preben Ostberg / Todd Olds / Bud Dailey, Rockville, MD, USA - 6, 2, 4, 1, 4, 1; 18
3. Nightshift, Farr 40 40, Kevin McNeil, Annapolis, MD, USA - 3, 5, 1, 4, 2, 5; 20

IRC 3 (IRC - 10 Boats)
1. White Heat, King 40 40, Mike Williamson, New Castle, NH, USA - 4.5, 1, 2, 3, 1, 1; 12.5
2. Pugwash, J 122 40, David Murphy, Westport, CT, USA - 3, 4, 1, 1, 3, 3; 15
3. Catapult, J 122 40', Marc Glimcher, New York, NY, USA - 1.5, 3, 5, 4, 2, 5; 20.5

IRC 4 (IRC - 7 Boats)
1. DownTime, Beneteau First 40.7 39.25, Ed and Molly Freitag, Annapolis, MD, USA - 7.5, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1; 14.5
2. Rush, J 109 35, Bill Sweetser, Annapolis, MD, USA - 1.5, 5, 4, 2, 2, 2; 16.5
3. SWIFT, Navy 44 MkI 44, Jason Mazzoni, Annapolis, MD, USA - 6, 1, 1, 5, 5, 4; 22

IRC 5 - Beneteau 36.7 (IRC - 7 Boats)
1. Pegasus, Beneteau First 36.7 36, Peter Firey, Vienna, VA, USA - 1.5, 3, 4, 1, 3, 2; 14.5
2. Foxtrot Corpen, Beneteau First 36.7 36, James Keen, Solomons, MD, USA - 3, 6, 1, 3, 2, 1; 16
3. KA'IO, Beneteau First 36.7 36, Don Finkle, Youngstown, NY, USA - 7.5, 1, 2, 2, 1, 6; 19.5

CONTACT: Barby MacGowan, Media Pro Int’l, 401-849-0220, barby.macgowan@mediapronewport.com or Marcy Trenholm, Storm Trysail Club, 914-834-8857, stormtry@aol.com

San Diego Yacht Club Hosts SoCal 52 Class Regatta

28-Oct-09

IRC Grand Prix Racing Continues to Build in Southern California

San Diego, CA - San Diego Yacht Club hosted the SoCal 52 Class Regatta on October 24th & 25th. Five races over two days were held in the waters off of San Diego, CA under clear blue skies. Three races were held on Saturday in steady winds ranging from 6 to 9 knots, and for the two races on Sunday the breeze increased from 7 to 11 knots. Jim Madden's TP52 "Stark Raving Mad V" won the regatta with Ashley Wolf's "Mayhem" from San Francisco, placing 2nd. Andy Rasdal's "Valkyrie" took 3rd.
SDYC hosted a class event on Saturday evening with over 80 crew and guests attending. Awards were presented after racing on Sunday afternoon.

This event concludes the 2009 series for the SoCal 52 class. David Team's "Rebel Yell" won the '09 series with 8 points with Jim Madden's "Stark Raving Mad" placing 2nd one point behind "Rebel Yell" with 9 points. The 2010 series begins with the "Islands Race" on March 12-13 hosted by Newport Harbor and San Diego Yacht Clubs.

The SoCal 52 class was inaugurated earlier this year and is composed of TP52s racing under owner defined rules. For 2010 the class expects to have 6-7 boats consistently racing in SoCal. There are 9 races currently scheduled for the 2010 championship series with class regattas at Newport Harbor and San Diego YCs already included for 2010.

The SoCal 52 owners evaluated various rating systems and determined IRC as the preferred rule for the class due to its international use for grand prix events, its wide use nationally and its growing adoption for major US events.

For more information on:
Race results: www.sdyc.org/raceinfo/results09/tp52_res.htm
US IRC: www.us-irc.org
SoCal 52 Class: www.socal52.org