Fair Racing
The mission of the Fair Racing / Handicapping Committee is to address all fair racing issues and to evaluate the handicapping/rating systems currently being used in superyacht racing, identifying the positive and negative aspects of each rule. The committee reports back on the viability of the rules being used as they pertain to fair racing, how they can be improved for superyacht racing and whether a new superyacht rule should be considered. Other fair racing issues such as class breaks, the owner/driver issue, and course composition are also addressed.
Superyacht Rating and ORCsy
SYRA worked in cooperation with the ORC – the worldwide leader in rating technologies, to create the ORC Super Yacht Rule (ORCsy) and it’s been hailed by yacht owners and crews as a great success.
The ORCsy uses the International Measurement System (IMS) and ORC VPP (Offshore Racing Congress Velocity Prediction Program) in a modified form to cover the features and special characteristics of superyachts in calculating a yacht’s predicted speed in different wind and sea conditions. With this information, ratings are calculated and used for corrected time calculations in the scoring of races for yachts of different sizes and characteristics.
- Download a copy of the Rule
- Advice on how to apply for an ORCsy certificate, or renew an existing certificate, can be found here.
- View an example ORCsy certificate here.
SYRA Rules
Superyacht racing requires special rules to accommodate the unique safety related issues inherent in the sport.
The 2025 SYRA Rulebook is your go-to guide for superyacht racing, and can be downloaded here.
This booklet is a useful tool when preparing to race in regattas where Appendix SY applies. It is a companion, not a replacement, for the full Racing Rules of Sailing and includes some case studies specific to Appendix SY.
RRS Appendix SY
Over seven years ago and with the approval of World Sailing, the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) Appendix SY made its debut at the 2011 St Barths Bucket. At that time, there was apprehension on how the 40 metre addition to keeping clear or giving room, and the restrictive overtaking provisions would work on the race course.
Fortunately for superyacht racing, the fundamentals of Appendix SY have stood the test of time. In subsequent years, there have been a number of minor changes and improvements made to the appendix. Review and refinements to the Superyacht rules continue.
Appendix SY is published on the World Sailing website here.