Max fleet for STC's US-IRC East Coast Championship

by US-IRC on 18 Oct 2007 Gulf Stream Series title down to final event.

'This US-IRC East Coast Championship will be the biggest IRC event ever on the Chesapeake,' said Race Chairman Bill Kardash. 'We are at 45 entries and that is our max limit. A 'wait list' is required, but there is no guarantee of entry.'

'I have a few entries who have not (yet) paid, Kardash quipped, 'If they 'blink', we could accept a boat or two from the 'wait list'. But I expect all will send payments.

The November 2nd US-IRC East Coast Championship, presented by the Storm Trysail Club Chesapeake Station, has reached the 45-boat limit. This will be the largest IRC East Coast Championships to date and promises to be a very competitive event. The IRC East Coast Championship is sponsored by Annapolis Yacht Sales, Lewmar and Beneteau USA.

Entries to date include 10 Beneteau 36.7's, 5 NYYC Swan 42's, four Beneteau 40.7's, 2 TP 52's, two new state of the art Reichel-Pugh boats Rima2 and Sjambok, the Farr 60 Hissar, and the new Judel-Vrolijk Numbers making her debut. The Complete current list can be found at http://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=143

Racing will be held in the Chesapeake Bay just off Annapolis on November 2-4. PRO Dick Neville and Chairman Bill Kardash plan a distance race of about 50 nm for the big boats and 30nm for the balance of fleet on Friday. Saturday and Sunday will be multiple windward-leeward courses. Current plans are to have four classes, with Beneteau 36.7's qualifying as a one-design start.

Gulf Stream Series up for grabs
Sjambok, Michael Brennan's RP 45, and Decision , Stephen Murray's TP52 and Tapio Saavalainen' Grand Soleil 37 B&C Kalevala II are all knotted up at the top of the Gulf Stream fleet going into the Championship. It's the final regatta of the series.

Getting started with IRC
Organizing authorities wishing to adopt IRC for their events should contact US-IRC Executive Director John Mendez for help with the process info@us-irc.org.

The US Sailing Offshore office administers the IRC rule in the US. Yacht owners should contact Nathan Titcomb at irc@ussailing.org for help with certificate application or with rating questions.
Check the US-IRC web site for upcoming US-IRC event news and go racing with us.

About US-IRC
The United States-IRC Foundation, Inc. (http://www.us-irc.org/ ) works to support and develop use of the IRC rule in co-operation with US SAILING ( http://www.ussailing.org/), which is the authorized body that issues IRC certificates under the auspices of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) ( http://www.rorcrating.com/).

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. An IRC certificate is, in effect, an international passport for a yacht, enabling it to travel across national and international borders using the same certificate wherever it goes. The supporting partners for the US-IRC rule are Rolex Watch U.S.A., Inc., New York Yacht Club, Storm Trysail Club and St. Francis Yacht Club.

The annual US-IRC Gulf Stream Series, which starts in January and finishes in November, offers a comprehensive racing opportunity for sailors entering the major IRC events in the Caribbean and on the East Coast.

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 7500 certificates issued worldwide and 625 IRC yachts active in the U.S. The rule is used worldwide at a variety of different levels, ranging from local club races to major offshore events.

For more information
Contact
Talbot Wilson
850-217-7138
talbot@talbotwilson.com