The Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) is an international body for the sport of competitive sailing

Yacht racing

Yacht racing is the sport of competitive yachting.While sailing groups organize the most active and popular competitive yachting, other boating events are also held world-wide: speed motorboat racing; competitive canoeing, kayaking, and rowing; model yachting; and navigational contests Yacht racing...

 and is responsible for the establishment and maintenance of rating and classification standards used to define offshore, that is marine

Marine (ocean)

Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...

 as opposed to inland

Inland

Inland is an area of land away from the coast or shore line. It usually refers to the interior part of a country or region.Inland may refer to:* Inland Fräkne Hundred, a hundred of Bohuslän in Sweden...

, yacht

Yacht

A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...

 racing handicap

Handicapping

Handicapping, in sport and games, is the practice of assigning advantage through scoring compensation or other advantage given to different contestants to equalize the chances of winning. The word also applies to the various methods by which the advantage is calculated...

 categories.

Ratings and Classification

The ORC was established in 1969 to create a single international handicap standard to combine the two pre-existing dominant handicap standards - that of the Cruising Club of America

Cruising Club of America

-History:It was launched in the winter of 1921-1922 by a handful of experienced offshore sailors interested in cruising and the development of the cruising type of yacht....

 which covered North and South Americas, and the standard of the Royal Ocean Racing Club

Royal Ocean Racing Club

The Royal Ocean Racing Club also called RORC was established in 1925 as a result of a race to the Fastnet rock from Cowes and finishing in Plymouth. The RORC is the principal organiser of offshore yacht races in the UK, including the Fastnet race, the Admirals Cup and the Commodore's Cup...

 for Europe and the Antipodes.

The combined rule set, the International Offshore Rule

International Offshore Rule

The International Offshore Rule was a measurement rule for racing sailboats. The IOR evolved from the Cruising Club of America rule for racer/cruisers and the Royal Ocean Racing Club rule.-Rule context - past and present rating systems:...

 or IOR, was initially successful. The ORC developed International Measurement System (IMS) in the early 1990s and it was widely used to the early 2000s. This made use of a Velocity prediction program

Velocity prediction program

A velocity prediction program is a program which solves for the performance of a sailing yacht in various wind conditions by balancing hull and sail forces...

 or VPP. Whilst still maintained, the IMS has been largely superseded by the Offshore Racing Congress Rule

Offshore Racing Congress Rule

The Offshore Racing Congress Rule is a system of handicapping sailboats for the purpose of racing that is being developed and promoted to replace the IRC currently in general use...

 in its 'International' and, more simple, 'Club' forms. These more recent rule sets are based on the same VPP as the IMS. The VPP is used "to rate boats of different characteristics in size, hull and appendages shape and configuration, stability, rig and sails measurement, propeller installation and many other details affecting their theoretical speed".

Along with the IMS, ORC International and ORC Club, the ORC is also the sole authority recognised by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF)

International Sailing Federation

The International Sailing Federation is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the world governing body for the sport of sailing....

 for the administration of the ORC Grand Prix Classes Rules and the co-related Regulations, measurement and classes.

Publications

As well as the IMS and ORC Rating Rules the ORC also publishes the "Green Book" or, more formally, "The ORC Championship Rules, Standard Notice of Race, Standard Sailing Instructions and ORC Classes" and the Grand Prix (GP) Class Rules. ORC also publish and distribute the VPP and other software and related documentation as well as a number of technical data sets, for example on Stability

Stability conditions (watercraft)

Stability conditions is the term used to describe the various standard loading configurations to which a ship, boat, or offshore platform may be subjected. They are recognized by classification societies such as Lloyd's Register, American Bureau of Shipping and Det Norske Veritas...

 and Hydrostatics

Fluid statics

Fluid statics is the science of fluids at rest, and is a sub-field within fluid mechanics. The term usually refers to the mathematical treatment of the subject. It embraces the study of the conditions under which fluids are at rest in stable equilibrium...

.

Organisation

The ORC comprises a Congress and Officers, a number of Committees, Chief Measurers and Rating Offices.

Congress and Officers

The Congress' honorary President is currently King Harald V of Norway

Harald V of Norway

Harald V is the king of Norway. He succeeded to the throne of Norway upon the death of his father Olav V on 17 January 1991...

. Bruno Finzi
has held the post of President since 2002. The congress includes national representatives and two from ISAF

International Sailing Federation

The International Sailing Federation is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the world governing body for the sport of sailing....

.

Committees

Apart from the general Management Committee, other committees cover "Offshore Classes & Events", "Race Management", "Special Regulations", "Measurement" and "Promotion & Development". General technical matters, including responsibility for the maintenance and development of the VPP and other software, are encompassed by the "International Technical Committee" (ITC), chaired by Alessandro Nazareth since 2006. A number of working groups also exist.

Measurers and Rating Offices

The 'Central Rating Office' establishes delegated Rating Office in each country with active offshore racing. Rating offices issue ORC International and ORC Club certificates, and administer their national fleets by supervising the measurement and rating of the yachts. For countries, where a national Rating Office is not established, the central ORC Rating office may provide support in issuing certificates and supervising measurement. A 'Chief Measurer' chairs the Measurement Committee. Chief Measurer since 1996 is Nicola Sironi and is only the fourth person to hold the post since 1969. National Chief Measurers are established in each national Rating Office.