Bloopers?
Please tell us this is a bad dream. Tell us we’re going to wake up and the notion that some IRC boats are ordering bloopers is actually a dream in which it is really 1979 and it is IOR boats that are ordering bloopers, not 2009 IRC boats!
Sadly, no. We have heard that at least one King 40 is getting one. So is this the type of boat that IRC rule creates? A leadmine that goes straight downwind and needs a bloop? Bloopers? Really?
We asked Mark Mills about that and he said "I see a lot of staysails now days, and some of them are getting pretty kite shaped, they are halfway back to bloopers for sure. A BH41 tried it in the UK a few years back, so they haven’t disappeared entirely!"
Speaking of IRC, looks like there was a little balls at KWRW up regarding an incorrect rating for the Mills designed Cool Breeze that looked a bit embarrassing. We got in touch with Mills and here’s what he said:
"The original rating was flawed due to an internal Rating Office procedural error, not stemming from any of the measured inputs which were all correct. Once they spotted this they were obliged to change it, and unfortunately a second error crept in at that stage to make the correction too large. Needless to say we are working to make sure the 2009 revalidation which is due will be for the correct configuration, its probably a natural result of the interaction between measurers, owners, US Sailing, and the RORC that occasionally hiccups occur, it was deeply unfortunate that it happened in the middle of an event to an owner and campaign as nice as Cool Breeze. The Rating Office response ended with “I can only express my very sincere apologies for our error and for any embarrassment caused.” Of course there’s a thread…
