The RORC Transatlantic Race is the culmination of many months of preparation and planning; starting from the day the entry opens online, through qualifying and on to the day of the race itself. This guide goes over the main points you need to consider before entering - crew qualification, boat suitability and the process of entry itself.
| Event | Date (2014) | Competitor Info |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Open | Mon 13 January 12:00 hrs UTC |
You can log in to your REMUS account and enter the RORC Transatlantic Race 2014 |
| Proposal | As soon as possible after entry | You must email the Race Team detailing your plan to meet the qualification requirement |
| Qualification | On completion | You must email the Race Team once you have completed the proposed qualification |
| Closing Date | Mon 27 October | Full Race Entry Fee must be paid by the Closing Date. Otherwise, a Late Entry Fee may be charged. |
| Rating Deadline | Fri 21 November | The deadline for holding a valid IRC/class certificate |
| Berthing Requirement | Mon 24 November | Boats are required to be berthed in Puerto Calero Marina (Lanzarote, Canary Islands) |
| Welcome Party | Thu 27 November | |
| Start | Sat 29 November | Start times and starting groups will be detailed in the Sailing Instructions |
| Prizegiving Party | Sat 20 December |
The RORC stipulates a minimum experience requirement of 500 miles of offshore racing or equivalent passages, completed by 50% of the crew (but not less than 2) including the Person in Charge within 18 months of the start.
Qualification can be done using the RORC's series of races; there are nine weekend offshore races, seven starting from Cowes and two on the east coast starting from Harwich and West Mersea. Multiples of these races would need to be done to constitute the 500 miles of racing. The RORC Caribbean Race in Antigua, the Round Ireland Race, the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race and the Rolex Middle Sea Race are all qualifiers in their own right and could be used singly although competitors should be aware that these races might have experience qualifications of their own that would need to be completed.
The full 2014 Programme can be viewed here and further details can be found in the Notice of Race (not yet available) for RORC organised races. The RORC Caribbean 600, Round Ireland Race and Rolex Middle Sea Race have their own Notice of Race (see race name links for details).
Please complete and send the proposal via Email to racing@rorc.org.uk (Please put your Sail Number and Boat Name in the subject field).
RE: "Sail Number", "Boat Name", Skipper "Captain Cornish" Experience Qualification Proposal RORC Transatlantic Race 2014
I and at least 50% of the crew intending to participate on my First 40.7 GBR1234L Boatname in the RORC Transatlantic Race propose to do the following races:-
Cervantes Trophy Race Sat 3 May about 120 nm Myth of Malham Race Sat 24 May about 230 nm Wolf Rock Race,
OSR Category 3Sat 14 Jun about 90 nm Channel Race Sat 27 July about 120 nm Total : about 560 nautical miles
I am aware that races have to be completed to count towards the qualification mileage. In the event of any changes to races or crew composition in the above proposal I will promptly inform the RORC in writing.
Regards,
Captain Cornish
30% of the crew (but not less than 2), including the Person the Charge, must have completed a training course in accordance with Section 6 of the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations. Training shall have taken place within 5 years of the start of the race.
For example: For a crew of 9: the Person in Charge and at least 2 additional crew members must have completed training. The emphasis is on "minimum" - our recommendation is that as many crew members as possible should complete this training. For boats competing Two-Handed, both crew have to be qualified.
At least two members of the crew must hold a valid First Aid Certificate or equivalent, completed within 5 years of the start of the race. In the UK the RYA First Aid Certificate meets the requirement.
It is advisable to have other crew members familiar with First Aid Procedures, hypothermia and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.
Medical professionals (i.e. doctors, paramedics, surgeons, Service medics, etc.) need not complete further training to meet the Senior First Aid requirement. However, they should refresh their knowledge on specific sicknesses and treatments, e.g. for hypothermia and make sure they are comfortable with special offshore medical conditions and actions, including topics like Tele medical communications on board. See Appendix N of the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations for details.
If you are considering competing in the RORC Transatlantic Race Two-Handed you will have to satisfy the Committee that you have suitable and adequate experience and that the boat is properly organised for Two-Handed sailing. Naturally, all other Experience/Qualification requirements set out in the Notice of Race apply in addition to this. Two-Handed competitors who regularly race with us meet this requirement and need not apply again.
You can apply to race in the Two-Handed Class by Email to racing@rorc.org.uk (Please put your sail Number and Boat name in the subject field).
RE: "Sail Number", "Boat Name", Skipper "Captain Pugwash" - Request for permission to compete in the RORC Two-Handed Class.
Dear RORC,
Please find below a resume and short offshore sailing CV for both of the crew which shows what we have done together Two-Handed.
(This need only include relevant experience, offshore passages and races. i.e. Sydney Hobart Race, JOG Dieppe Race etc.)
... Sailing CV
The boat is set up for Two-Handed sailing as follows...
Please let us know whether our experience is acceptable to start in the RORC's Two-Handed Class.
Regards
Captain Pugwash
Like the crew, the boat needs to be capable of taking on the conditions likely to be seen during the RORC Transatlantic Race. We invoke the Category 1 requirements of the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations plus Satellite Phone (including RORC Prescriptions) to decide on the suitability of a boat's stability, equipment and construction standards. The RORC then has a few additional stipulations regarding the speed and minimum/maximum length of eligible boats.
| Monohull | Multihull | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed |
|
|
| Length |
|
|
|
The Committee may make an exception to the minimum lengths or ratings on application |
||
| Hull Construction |
Please see the full requirements in "Hull Construction Certificate" below |
|
| Stability |
|
|
| Boat Equipment |
|
|
To ensure that your boat was designed and constructed to withstand the rigours of offshore racing, the boat has to meet certain design and constructions standards.
To determine whether a hull construction certificate needs to be lodged with us, please find out the earliest of the age and series date for your boat*. These values are present on most rating certificates (e.g. IRC) or in your boat's manual.
* Age date specifies the date the build of the boat was completed. The series date is the date of completion of the first boat in the series. Typically the series date is earlier than the age date. The requirements for Hull Construction are based on the earlier of these two dates. If your boat was built in 2003 but the series had been completed in 1984 you can enter the decision tree below with the value 1984.
You don't need to lodge a hull construction certificate with the RORC.
A Hull Construction certificate needs to be lodged with the RORC, in accordance with ISAF Offshore Special Regulations Appendix M2. Should you happen to have a Standard Series Design Yacht (e.g. J/109) you could check whether it is on our list already - in which case you could simply drop us an Email confirming that you haven't made any significant modifications or repairs to the boat (keel or hull modifications, or anything that may affect the strenght of the build or stability).
You must have
Please check the list of "OSR Plan Review Certificates" on the ISAF OSR Structural Plan Review Website. If your boat is listed, simply drop us an Email confirming that no significant modifications or repairs to the boat have been made (keel or hull modifications, or anything that may affect the strenght of the build or stability).
