Representatives of the RORC and ORC met at the Royal Malta Yacht Club before the start of the Rolex Middle Sea Race to discuss the continued cooperation between IRC and ORC on a technical level, and the future of a joint Offshore World Championship. Both sides agreed that the Hague Offshore World Championship, which used both IRC and ORC to score the results, was a success on many levels.

Most notably was the willingness of the technicians from IRC and ORC to quickly find solutions to measurement issues and that most competitors felt that the combined scoring allowed boats normally using different rating rules to race competitively against each other.

Feedback from the sole Irish boat competing at the event, however, included comment from Cork-based Sailmaker Graham Curran who reported back in August:  "there are many improvements needed before this event can truly succeed. IRC and ORC need to work closely together, for the benefit of both organisations, to bring the rating systems closer together. Each has their own agenda and vision for how to grow our sport but for the benefit of all sailors, their customers, there need to be bridges built. The goal should be compatible, interchangeable ratings so that Irish/UK based sailors can compete uninhibited in Europe, and vice versa". Read more here.

The two international rating systems recognised by World Sailing, IRC and ORC, agreed to continue their dialogue on a technical level to further develop the Universal Measurement System (UMS) to allow boats to be rated more easily for different measurement system around the world.

It was also agreed that IRC would be involved in the decision to select future venues for the joint Offshore World Championships and in the interest of the sport and event organisers that a joint Worlds would be held every two years starting in 2020.