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Nu finns det fler svar på vanliga frågor på ORC International.

Questions & Answers

The launch of any new rule prompts a flood of questions and concerns regarding its impact on both existing boat owners and those interested in designing boats for the future. While ORC has attempted to make the transition to ORC International for 2008 as seamless as possible, we recognize there will be many possible questions that boat owners, sailors, sail makers, and designers will have about the new rule and how it may affect them.

Do I have to go again through a complex measurement
process both ashore and afloat?
No, the new Rule can read all the data it needs from the current IMS and ORC Club certificates data formats.

How are ratings changing across the fleet?
The new ORC International Rule and its Club sistership favour light boats with a high stability or – to put it more accurately – it gives a disadvantage to those who have a low stability and a low Length/Volume ratio, as it is shown in the test run. It further reduces the draft of keels having a bulb, giving therefore a relative advantage to those configurations, and reduces the length extension for immersed transoms in sunk condition. This will be an advantage to some designs, especially to those produced by J-Boats. However, the study on the L determination continues to be a top priority in next year’s ITC agenda.

I read some changes in the sail areas formulations,
do I have to re-measure any of my sails?
If you had a certificate qualifying for an asymmetric spinnaker measured before 2007, you would find only the value for ASL as printed on the certificate, and so you will have to read out or picture on your sail stamps the separate values of SLU and SLE in order to obtain a marginal advantage in rating.

Those who have already initialized a sail inventory in 2007 having already Asymmetric Luff and Leech recorded separately will not require any further action, and the VPP will calculate its results according to the new formulae without any further action.

Should I make my boat stiffer or chop some more
lead off the keel and stuff the already-stuffed bilges?

You can try and test your boat in this configuration in some winter championship race or just training and comparing the polars with the ones of your last knowledge. We all hope the new Rule will really encourage stiffening boats.

Is there going to be new scoring software?
There is Windows – based Velum NG available for purchase, or the traditional DOS – based Altura program available for free through the ORC website. No new product is scheduled for 2008.

What is on the ORC International certficate?
The first page is for your ratings, including your theoretical boats speeds for different wind ranges and strengths without going to any calculations. You can just compare your real boats speeds with those on certificate to know how much potential of your boat you are using. The second page is reserved for the measurements clearly divided in separate sections starting from the rig, freeboards and inclining test, propeller, and sails inventory together with measurement inventory. It is important to note the certificate is self-producing in a way that things that do not exist on the boat will not be displayed (like mizzen, or water ballast, or canting keel for boats without it).

Has ORC Club also changed? What’s new?
The biggest improvement is that the picture of the boat with rig and sail measurements will be proportional to the real boat measurement and it will be much easier to compare for example classic mast head cruiser/racer with fractional rig races. There will be some other data available like sail areas, sail limitation or spinnaker configuration.

Are there any changes in how the new VPP will
handle Asymmetrical Spinnakers?

Yes, the Measurement Committee has approved the following changes for asymmetrical spinnakers:

The formula ASL = 0.6*SLU+0.4*SLE has been changed to a simpler average: ASL = (SLU+SLE)/2.

The requirement of a 5% difference between luff and leech in Rule 816.2 a) has been removed, considering as asymmetric all spinnakers that don’t comply with the current symmetry requirements.

Asymmetric spinnakers are now allowed to have AMG >= 0.65 ASF. An asymmetric spinnaker with AMG between 0.75 and 0.65 ASF will be considered a “Code Zero” and have a special treatment in the VPP run.

The default area of asymmetric spinnakers will now be calculated using the default values for ASL, AMG and ASF. The default value for ASF has been modified as the maximum of 1.6 TPS, 1.8 SPL, 1.8 J. The AMG default is set as 0.75 ASF.

Asymmetrical spinnakers now have a different default area value based on a different ratio to TPS, enabling boats to be correctly rated if they have a smaller area than their 2007 default.

What are the changes for Jibs?
Jib and genoa area calculation (based on 4 girths + JH) is simpler than the previous 2007 definition. It is:

JIB AREA = 0.1125*JL*(1.445*LPG+2*JGL+2*JGM+1.5*JGU+JGT+JH/2).

The formulation for vertical center of effort of jibs will be modified accordingly in VPP, and will allow Measurers to compute the jib surface more easily than with the current formulation, enabling them also to write the area on sail stamps without the need of a computer. A marginal amount of roach (max 1%) is also now allowed in Genoas (LPG > 110%).

What are the changes for Mainsails?
Jib and genoa area calculation (based on 4 girths + JH) is simpler than the previous 2007 definition. It is:

JIB AREA = 0.1125*JL*(1.445*LPG+2*JGL+2*JGM+1.5*JGU+JGT+JH/2).

The formulation for vertical center of effort of jibs will be modified accordingly in VPP, and will allow Measurers to compute the jib surface more easily than with the current formulation, enabling them also to write the area on sail stamps without the need of a computer. A marginal amount of roach (max 1%) is also now allowed in Genoas (LPG > 110%).

Are Code Zero sails now allowed?
Yes. Gennakers with 0.65*ASF < AMG < 0.75*ASF are now allowed, and will be counted in the boat's asymmetric spinnaker inventory.

What other changes were approved?
There will be a Boom Depth penalty assessed if BD > 0.06*E. If BD exceeds 6% of E, then the exceeding amount will be multiplied by E, doubled, and added to the mainsail area.

There will no longer be a maximum or minimum restriction on declared crew weight, and the default crew weight for doublehanded crews will be 170 kg.

Are there related issues which remain unchanged?
Yes. The maximum number of sails on board will remain unchanged, and there is no difference in the mast weight and fittings treatment.