A rating increase that adds over a minute per hour on the water to Ireland's top Channel handicap (CHS) yachts is to be contested by Howth skipper Roy Dickson and Isle of Wight yacht designer John Corby. But others in the CHS fleet have said the removal of Corby's handicap advantage was overdue.
In a new year blow to at least three Irish class one yachts, the Channel handicap rating office have issued certificates increasing Dickson's Cracklin' Rosie rating by 18 points, with Howth stablemate Mustang Sally (Max McMullan), the current Irish CHS champion, rising by 20 points.
"I've heard the word on the street is that my designs are finished. Well, I am laughing my socks off at even the thought of it," a defiant John Corby said yesterday. He revealed plans from his Cowes design office that includes widening affected boats with foam core at deck level to beat the rule.
"I am absolutely furious, but I'll beat them (the CHS council) at their own game," he added.
The CHS office reviews the performance of its rule and each year changes are made to the secret formula that determines each yacht's handicap. It is a successful formula that has made it one of the most popular systems in operation worldwide.
On this occasion, however, the changes, applied to all yachts, appear to have hit Corby designs particularly hard. According to CHS technical officer Mike Irwin, this is because of "parametric" differences against other boats in the fleet, such as beam-to-length ratios. In the majority of cases the effects are barely visible, but yesterday Irwin admitted that an 18 or 20 point leap was "significant". He confirmed that appeals have been lodged with the Royal Ocean Racing Club.
"I am very unhappy that Cracklin' has been rated so highly," Dickson said. "Any races we won last year were only by a few seconds, and our Scottish series last May win was virtually a dead heat. I don't want to go into any more detail because my rating is under appeal."
Dickson's Scottish win against British boat Vitric might have to live long in the memory of the Howth crew given Vitric's rating was revised by only five points, giving her a clear, 13-point advantage - or 45 seconds in the hour against the Howth boat for the coming season.
Corby indicated that Mustang Sally will now be modified and her rating will be reduced to a level comparable to arch rival design the Bashford-Howison 36footer. Cracklin' Rosie is likely to be fitted with a taller mast, which adds to the financial burden of this season's campaign.
Recalculating Rosie's Fastnet race from August, assuming all other handicaps stay the same, would have dropped the 40-footer from 13th to 27th place in a fleet of 30 boats.
There is continuing speculation that affected Irish boats are suffering the backlash of the heavy rating penalty imposed on Solent-based independent Bear (Kit Hobday), which completed an incredible debut season on the Solent. The British CHS championship boat has had her rating increased by 28 points, but, in spite of this, a recalculation of her Cowes week results still puts her on top of the fleet.
Meanwhile, on January 31st, the annual meeting of the Irish Sailing Association's handicapping and rating committee will hear a presentation on the principles of rating by Mark Small and Mark Mills, at Butler House, Kilkenny at 10.0 a.m. To book, call Denis Kiely on 021 371953.
