For an event, you should always use the ones showed by each competitor at the moment they registered for the event. Any changes after that should never be considered for that event.

Rule 62.1(a) %>, Starting Times and Finishing Places

When a race is conducted for boats racing under a rating system, the rating that should be used to calculate a boat's corrected time is her rating at the time the race is sailed. Her score should not be changed if later the rating authority, acting on its own volition, changes her rating.


Case 57

Rule 60.2, Right to Protest; Right to Request Redress or Rule 69 ActionRule 78.3, Compliance with Class Rules; Certificates

The race committee is required to protest only as a result of a report received from an equipment inspector or a measurer appointed for an event. When a current, properly authenticated certificate has been presented in good faith by an owner who has complied with the requirements of rule 78.1, the final results of a race or series must stand, even though the certificate is later withdrawn.

Case 57 last paragraph emphasise added

When a valid certificate is found to be defective, it may be withdrawn by
the authority that issued it, but no retrospective action may be taken in
regard to a completed series or any completed races in a series that is still in
progress. Thus, when a current, properly authenticated certificate has been
presented in good faith and a race or series has been completed, the results
of that race or series must stand, even though at a later date the certificate is
withdrawn.

If irc ratings the rating rule I believe specifies it is the certificate valid at the conclusion of the race. The new certificate invalidates the old so it can't be used.
I cannot comment on other systems. 

I'm aware of one case where a boat competed in a race lasting >5 days with an IRC rating that allowed 4 spinnakers (the boat was allowing for damage in a long race).  Immediately before the start of that race, the boat submitted an application for (but had not received) a new rating with 3 spinnakers, intending that to cover a different race a week after the end of the first race.  The new rating was received during the course of the first (>5 day) race, which of course the boat had started with 4 spinnakers, as allowed for by the rating at the start of the race.  I don't know what rules cover it, but morally it is clear that the boat should be assigned the rating for the sail plan that the boat started the race with (4 spinnakers).  Otherwise, what would stop a boat applying for new ratings as and when sails got damaged during a race?

Kristeen that’s an interesting scenario. 

Unless specifically disallowed by the rating system, I’m not sure there is anything wrong with a boat having multiple ratings for different sail configurations… as long as the boat complies with the rating during the event that she declares/submits for that event. 

For instance, the J105 (my boat) can be rated under PHRF in the OD config at one rating and another rating for a 155 Genoa and a 180% spin (both which are larger than the OD sails).   Even within the single PHRF certificate, there are spin and non-spin ratings … again only differentiating the sail complement for the race. 

The case I referred to was some time ago.  IRC has now amended the rules to allow exactly that, a boat can have a primary and a secondary rating for any reason they may choose to use 2 ratings eg inshore v offshore, short-handed v crewed.  (IRC does also offer spi and non-spi ratings, but the competitor cannot choose which to use; non-spi can only be used if the NoR allows it.)

Hi Kirsteen,

Is there something built into IRC that fixes which cert applies in a particular race, or does it require a NOR/SI procedure?

Do you have some NOR/SI words?

John
This only became an option this year, so not much experience with it.  I don't believe IRC covers that. We take the view that boats must declare their preference in good time to avoid playing an arms race, playing with sail plans once the weather forecast is available/reasonably reliable.  The text we use is

https://www.offshoresolo.com/racing-information/noticeofrace
I use one myself and have declared the lower rating/smaller sail area for single-handed racing, and the higher one for double-handed.  I don't believe other clubs I've raced with this year have published guidance/rules specifically covering this.

Kirsteen - in reference to the last sentence of (b). What if a boat with an IRC certificate wants to compete in a non-IRC class, such as PHRF or one design class, that is also available?

Thanks Kirsteen

I finally did my own homework

Here's the relevant IRC rule

8.2.1 A boat may additionally hold a separate secondary valid certificate: 

(a) The secondary certificate will be clearly identified and shall only vary from the primary certificate in respect of, mainsail widths, E, P, headsail dimensions, flying headsail dimensions, single furling headsail allowance, the use of stored power, SPA, STL, SPL, spinnaker pole/bowsprit, whisker pole, number of spinnakers, number of flying headsails, aft rigging, use of moveable ballast, use of variable ballast, internal ballast;  

(b)  The secondary certificate boat weight and corresponding overhangs shall only vary from the primary certificate for a change in internal ballast. This change in boat weight is only permitted when both the primary and secondary certificates are ENDORSED in accordance with IRC Rule 8.5. 

(c) Owners shall declare the primary or secondary certificate to the race organiser before the rating deadline. 

So it is self enforcing, and apart from the newly coined 'rating deadline' you don't really need NOR/SI  language.

Thanks, John
WRT your first question, we do require that boats with an IRC rating race in IRC.  Our only non-IRC class is an unrated class that is open to all-comers, generally used by boats that are new to solo racing, don't plan to do very much racing at all, or don't fit (well) into IRC classes such as multis or mini 650s, but want the experience of solo racing in company.  

WRT the IRC rule c, it is not uncommon for boats who do have a rating not to declare it by the rating deadline!  Where there is a valid IRC rating listed, we use it.  Our final clause just states what we would do if we find a boat with 2 valid ratings (primary and secondary) that did not declare which rating they plan to use.  

Kirsteen

Your 7 day rating deadline seems very long.  Is there a particular reason for this?

Wouldn't it have been clever if the IRC subparagraph (c) had said something like

(c) The primary certificate shall apply unless the owner declares that secondary certificate applies to the race organiser before the rating deadline. 

7 days for the rating deadline is fairly standard amongst Solent clubs, intended primarily to avoid an 'arms race' with boats repeatedly changing sail plan/ratings according to forecast weather conditions, but also helps organisers if competitors can't make late changes.  

In ORC this is clearly defined in ORC Rule 305. No need to add anything specific in the NoR,as long as the event is governed by the Rules as defined in the RRS as Defintion of "rules" inlcudes "the class rules (for a boat racing under a handicap or rating system, the rules of that system are ‘class rules’);"

John A and Zoran, can you post links to the Rating/Class docs you are referring, to make it easy for others to quickly find the references?  Thanks. - Ang

Angelo - here is link to ORC Rating System Rules - https://orc.org/uploads/files/Rules-Regulations/2023/ORC-Rating-Systems-2023-PDF.pdf

Great. Thanks to both of you.  Here are those same links (above and below this post) in clickable form. 

IRC

https://ircrating.org/irc-rule/