Class Rules

  1. All boats shall have a current IRC Certificate with a maximum rating of 0.920.

  2. All boats shall have a Series Age Date prior to 1996.

  3. All boats shall have a Hull Series Date prior to 1996 (Note: Any hull changes should be pre-agreed with the Rating Authority to ensure that modifications do not alter the boat's Hull Date.

  4. All boats or a sistership shall have had an RORC Rating of 16 ft or less between 1967- 1970 or an IOR Rating of 17 ft - 18 ft for the years 1971 - 1978, or an IOR Rating of between 17.5 - 18.5 for the years 1979 - 1996.

  5. Crew - The maximum number of crew shall be 6.

    Should a boat elect to race with 6 crew members, the maximum crew weight shall be under 420 kg.  
    Should boats elect to race with 6 crew, they shall advise the Organising Authority at least 48 hours before the start of the regatta or race in order that weighing facilities are in place. Should a boat elect to race with 5 or less crew members, there shall be no weight limit.
    All boats shall compete for the duration of the regatta with the same number of crew as in the first race. 

  6. The owner or joint owner shall steer the yacht in all Quarter Ton events. In exceptional circumstances, where the owner prefers not to helm, dispensation may be given for an ISAF Category 1 sailor to helm the boat (Alternate Helm).  Permission for the Alternate Helm must be obtained from the Quarter Ton Class Secretary at least 7 days prior to any Quarter Ton event.  Being ISAF Category 1 does not mean automatic acceptance as an Alternate Helm. The Alternate Helm will be expected to be a regular member of the crew.

  7. Applications will be considered from boats for Quarter Ton events who believe that they were genuine Quarter Tonners but who are unable to prove an IOR or RORC Rating. The Secretary will seek the guidance of the RORC Rating Office whose decision shall be final.

  8. Sail Numbers.  In order to preserve the heritage of the Quarter Tonners from the early days, it is permitted to use the original sail designation and numbers. ie. K (GBR) I (ITA) F (FRA).  The reasoning for this is that unless it is a class rule ISAF require the new three letter designations. 

  9. Bow Sprits and Prodders are not allowed, either fixed or retractable unless originally designed prior to 1996.  All spinnakers must be tacked down to the yacht’s spinnaker pole, except when hoisting, gybing, approaching the bottom mark and dropping the kite.

Quarter Ton Class - March 2025