The IC24 – why didn't someone think of this sooner? Now what?

by John Morris on 4 Apr 2010 The IC24 – why didn't someone think of this sooner? Now what?

Visiting Tortola for the BVI Spring Regatta, the writers on hand were offered a ride on an IC24. Today was shakedown day.

The Spring Regatta has a nice fleet of larger boats registered, but we got lucky with the IC24 assignment, I think. But first a note that a chartered beauty - Zen, a Santa Cruz 37 took top spot in the Nanny Cay Cup feeder race from North Sound. The SC is one sweet looker and the crew was pumped, so good for them!

Meanwhile at the one-design dock, we divided into teams: three journos on each boat with a local captain. It turned out to be interesting, since the journalists are from a variety of countries and linguistic issues led to some odd sailing communication. It all worked somehow for this shakedown operation since a) the winds were easy on us and b) everyone's so happy to be down here in Tortola, the rest of it seems relatively minor.

The good news, make that great news, is that the IC24 is the best idea since aerosol pancake mix. Designed right here in BVI, the story goes that the IC24 was a product of necessity stemming from some storm damage to a local fleet of J24s. Rather than scarp them, sailors designed a new deck mold to fit on the existing J24 hull but it's wayyyyy different. The configuration is more like a Sonar or a long Viking 22. Gone is the bulbous cabin replaced with a cuddy and a wide open cockpit. Sails, rudder, keel, mast are all still stock J24, but the catastrophic need to tack the crew over the cabin hump is gone. In fact, no legs over the rail are allowed and jib rather than genny is mandatory.

The goal is a more genteel one-design and that gets my vote. As anyone who ever raced a J knows (well, anyone over 25) they are brutal. Sure, I'm creakier than most, but after a day of rolling over the humped cabin top, impaling my nether regions on cleats and having my cheeks scorched by the tweakers on every gybe, this IC24 thing couldn't come too soon. There are fleets in Tortola, St. Thomas in the USVI, where they build the decks, and a few other spots. It makes a hell of a lot of sense.

With our internationally thrown-together crew we went out and did some tacks and gybes while we tried to determine how to explain pole back and omigawd the topping lift has un-snapped to Spanish speakers. The breeze was uncharacteristically light giving us time to work out some of the kinks.

So maybe we're not a smooth as silk crewing machine. It's easy to believe the real fleet members will give us some serious lessons when the flag drops, but who really cares when it's 85 under crystal blue skies and right after racing the attention turns to Mount Gay sampling.

Tomorrow the first gun is at 10. I'll get back to you with our results.