ORC Ireland Reports 133 Certificated Boats Nationwide

16th June 2026

Afloat.ie Team

Parallel Tracks — Bobby Kerr's J/109 Riders on the Storm competes at the National Yacht Club Regatta, where ORC results were published alongside the established IRC and ECHO handicap systems Credit: Afloat

ORC Ireland says it has now issued certificates to 133 individual boats across 17 Irish sailing clubs, according to the latest figures released by the organisation.

The figures show certificated boats distributed around the country, with the strongest concentrations in Dublin Bay, Cork Harbour and Howth.

According to ORC Ireland, Howth Yacht Club has the largest number of certificated boats with 44. The Royal Irish Yacht Club follows with 24, while Royal Cork Yacht Club has 18.

Royal St George Yacht Club accounts for 14 certificated boats and Cove Sailing Club has 13. The National Yacht Club has six, while Greystones Sailing Club, Kinsale Yacht Club and Malahide Yacht Club each have four.

ORC Ireland says the figures reflect growing interest in the international rating system among Irish boat owners.

The organisation has promoted the system through club outreach and information sessions, including webinars explaining the ORC Club rating option and its application to club racing.

Alongside certificate growth, ORC scoring is being used at a number of Irish events. This season, ORC results have been published for the Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club and National Yacht Club regattas, while the Royal St George Yacht Club and Royal Irish Yacht Club regattas are also expected to feature ORC results.

At these events, ORC results are being published in parallel with the long-established IRC and ECHO handicap systems, which continue to form the primary basis for much club and regatta racing in Ireland.

In Cork Harbour, ORC results have additionally been published for the opening race of the Combined Clubs League involving boats from Cove Sailing Club and Royal Cork Yacht Club.

The figures relate to individual boats holding ORC certificates. Boats holding more than one certificate type have only been counted once.

The numbers do not necessarily reflect the rating systems used by individual clubs or regattas.

ORC Ireland Certificated Boats by Club at June 15th 2026

Club	ORC Certificated Boats
Howth Yacht Club	44
Royal Irish Yacht Club	24
Royal Cork Yacht Club	18
Royal St George Yacht Club	14
Cove Sailing Club	13
National Yacht Club	6
Greystones Sailing Club	4
Kinsale Yacht Club	4
Malahide Yacht Club	4
Schull Harbour Sailing Club	2
Foynes Yacht Club	1
Galway Bay Sailing Club	1
Kilmore Quay	1
Mayo Sailing Club	1
Royal Ulster Yacht Club	1
Not Known	5
Total	133

Source: ORC Ireland

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About the ORC Handicap System and Its Use in Ireland

The ORC (Offshore Racing Congress) handicap system is a measurement-based rating rule used to create fair competition between sailing yachts of different designs. Rather than relying on performance data alone, ORC ratings are calculated from detailed measurements of each yacht’s hull shape, rig, sails and stability. These measurements generate a Velocity Prediction Program (VPP) model, which estimates how fast the boat should sail in various wind strengths and angles. Race results are then corrected using one of several scoring options, such as Time-on-Time or Time-on-Distance, aiming to reward crew performance rather than inherent design advantages.

In recent years, there has been exploration in Ireland toward broader adoption of the ORC system, particularly ORC International (ORCi) and ORC Club certificates.

Clubs on both east and south coasts have explored ORC as an alternative or complement to the IRC rating rule, which has traditionally dominated Irish handicap racing. In 2025, events such as the D2D Race and Calves Week trialled ORC scoring or dual-scoring with IRC to ease the transition.

The move is driven by a desire for transparency, international alignment and access to the robust technical framework that ORC offers. Some Irish sailors are asking for consistency with European events where ORC is already well established.