Half Ton Classics Cup Cancelled in Cowes

29th March 2021

The Half-Ton Classic Cup has been forced to cancel for a second time. The Cup is now scheduled for Cowes on 18-22nd July 2022

Dave Cullen's champion Irish Half Tonner Checkmate XV competing at Dun Laoghaire.The Half-Ton Classic Cup has been forced to cancel for a second time. The Cup is now scheduled for Cowes on 18-22nd July 2022

The Half Ton Classic Cup in Cowes has been cancelled in July. It is the second time the event has cancelled due to COVID.

Unfortunately, with most of the fleet hailing from Belgium, France and Ireland, it isn’t expected to have the crews all vaccinated in time and travel is also still likely to be difficult, Irish Half-Ton sailor, Dave Cullen of Howth Yacht Club told Afloat

In its latest newsletter, the class is told "Given the actual sanitary conditions and the general tendency for this summer, we regrettably have had to take the decision, together with RORC, to postpone the Cowes HTCC for another year".

"It is our aim to have an event that combines both racing and a social programme for all sailors, which is essential to us as a Class, to you as participants and to RORC as organisers".

The Cup is now scheduled for Cowes on 18-22nd July 2022.

Published in Half Tonners, RORC

Published in Half Tonners

Tagged under

Half Tonners

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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.