Rating changes for Bermuda Race

The Offshore Racing Rule (ORR) is used to score the biennial Newport Bermuda Race which gets underway in 2022 on June 17. Here’s an update on changes for 2022.

The Offshore Racing Association (ORA) has made a major update to the model of spinnaker aerodynamics, finding the design and construction of asymmetric sails in particular resulting in shapes that are more powerful, more efficient and more stable.

As a result of the improved performance of these sails, the organization reviewed recorded boat polars as well as fundamental research into sail performance. The 2022 ORR VPP (velocity prediction program) now reflects that with offwind boat speeds that more closely represent what is observed on the water.

So what is the result?

1. All boats are sped up offwind to some extent. Time on distance ratings (sec/mile) that include offwind sailing will be faster.

2. Those boats that sail offwind at narrow apparent wind angles, the very fast apparent wind speedsters, are sped up the most.

3. Heavy boats that generally sail at deeper angles are sped up less.

4. This is due to the fact that the improvements in spinnaker performance are greater at the smaller apparent wind angles. At very large angles the air flow is more separated, even stalled, and there is less gain to be made with better shapes.

5. The time-on-time ratings for your boat may be larger (faster) or smaller (slower) because these ratings are simply speed ratios that compare your boat to the Farr 40 one design configured with a masthead spinnaker. That Farr 40 is the scratch boat for time-on-time ratings. (The only exception is the Transpac Race ratings that use a different boat.)

6. For Performance Curve Scoring (PCS), used by the Newport Bermuda Race, the ratings are all time on distance (second per mile.) These ratings will all be smaller (faster.) But in handicap racing everything is relative. Some boats will have sped up more than yours, some less. Points 2) and 3) above should be kept in mind in seeing how your boat fares against the competition.

7. See below to view the 2022 and 2021 polar chart for the Farr 40 MH 1D.

8. If one of your time-on-time ratings is slower in 2022 it is because, even though you are faster, the Farr 40 scratch boat sped up even more.

9. If your rating is faster, it is because you sped up more than the Farr 40.

10. The ORA makes all valid certificates available to view and print at the the Regatta Management Solutions site.

The updated VPP model rates a boat such as the Farr 40 MH to sail faster in most conditions at 90 to 150 degrees true wind angle.

Event information – Race details – Entry list

Source: ORR