Global Solo Challenge: When were yacht racing handicap rules invented?

Rolex Fastnet - A race run under the IRC rule © Global Solo Challenge

One of the biggest problems the World's yachting race organisers have faced is, how can you devise a system where yachts of different sizes and profiles can race against each other, on an equal footing.

The problem is made even worse, with different countries having used different measurements and concepts on how to provide a handicap 'rule' system.

Way back in 1790, the Custom House Rule, which was based on a yacht's bulk, volume or tonnage was introduced to create different classes of boats.

In the United States, The Seawanhaka Rule of 1883, developed this further and combined this with the equation of the waterline length of the boat added to the square root of the sail area.

Endeavour J-Class - photo © Global Solo Challenge

To understand the context of this rule, it should be understood the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht club dates back to 1871. Based in Oyster Bay, New York, it was set up to counter the vogue, that the richest owner (who generally never sailed) would win all the honours.

This was what had happened and was happening in the sport of horse racing, which was still called the Sport of Kings, even though Kings had stopped taking part many years before.

So the club was set up as a 'Corinthian' club, which dictated that the members actually sail, and whilst doing so, upheld the highest standard of sportsmanship. (Incredibly past members of this club have included names like the Morgans, Vanderbilts and Roosevelts).

This club's own rules were adopted in the U.S. and were in place until 1893 and an evolved system was in place up until World War I.

After this war, the rules actually developed in a different form on either side of the Atlantic, with the British using girth stations to determine length, while the American Rule used buttock length. Now I can assure you that these are legitimate boat measurements.

After World War II, the rules as formulated in the US and Europe diverged even further, but over time, there developed a demand for a truly international racing rule that could be truly applicable to multi-national teams and events.

Such events that were started in this post-war period were The Onion Patch, Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC) and the Admiral's Cup.

By 1961, it was clear that there were two totally separate rules; Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) for Europe & the Antipodes, and the Cruising Club of America (CCA) rule for America, so during this decade, the Offshore Rules Coordinating Committee (ORCC) was formed to align the different systems.

In 1967 at the request of the International Olympic Committee, the International Technical Committee was formed and the new International Offshore Rule (IOR) was drafted. Based predominantly on Europe's Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) rule, the measurements of the yachts as regards, length, depth and freeboards were formulated and incredibly for this period, the system was computerised.

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