Half Tonner 'Miss Whiplash' Returns After Major Refit

3rd January 2026

Afloat.ie Team

The Half Tonner Miss Whiplash back afloat after a full keel-up refit, following a racing incident and ahead of the 2026 sailing season

The Half Tonner Miss Whiplash will be back afloat after a full keel-up refit, following a racing incident and ahead of the 2026 sailing season Credit: Alchemy Marine/Facebook

The Cork Harbour Half Tonner Miss Whiplash is back on the water after an extensive refit at Alchemy Marine in Doneraile, Co Cork.

The 1986 Andrieu-designed yacht won the IRC Spinnaker class at the Royal Cork UK Sailmakers Ireland May League.

Alchemy Marine said the boat initially arrived for repairs following a racing incident.

“What came in as repairs quickly turned into a complete refit from the keel up,” the yard said on social media.

Weight management was a key challenge throughout the project.

“When weight is such a critical factor, it’s never quite so simple,” the yard added.

Alchemy Marine confirmed the yacht will leave the workshop slightly lighter than when she arrived.

The work was completed just before the Christmas break, during an unusually busy winter period for the yard.

Alongside Miss Whiplash, Alchemy Marine is upgrading a Formosa 51 and undertaking the full restoration of a 15ft 8in full-keel yacht.

More here

Published in Half Tonners, Royal Cork YC, Boatyards

Published in Half Tonners

Tagged under

Half tonner

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The Half Ton Class was created by the Offshore Racing Council for boats within the racing band not exceeding 22'-0". The ORC decided that the rule should "....permit the development of seaworthy offshore racing yachts...The Council will endeavour to protect the majority of the existing IOR fleet from rapid obsolescence caused by ....developments which produce increased performance without corresponding changes in ratings..."

When first introduced the IOR rule was perfectly adequate for rating boats in existence at that time. However yacht designers naturally examined the rule to seize upon any advantage they could find, the most noticeable of which has been a reduction in displacement and a return to fractional rigs.

After 1993, when the IOR Mk.III rule reached it termination due to lack of people building new boats, the rule was replaced by the CHS (Channel) Handicap system which in turn developed into the IRC system now used.

The IRC handicap system operates by a secret formula which tries to develop boats which are 'Cruising type' of relatively heavy boats with good internal accommodation. It tends to penalise boats with excessive stability or excessive sail area.

Competitions

The most significant events for the Half Ton Class has been the annual Half Ton Cup which was sailed under the IOR rules until 1993. More recently this has been replaced with the Half Ton Classics Cup. The venue of the event moved from continent to continent with over-representation on French or British ports. In later years the event is held biennially. Initially, it was proposed to hold events in Ireland, Britain and France by rotation. However, it was the Belgians who took the ball and ran with it. The Class is now managed from Belgium.