Started in 2005, the Offshore Racing Association (ORA) Continues its Mission to Provide Fair Rules for Racers.
PRLog - July 27, 2015 - NEWPORT, R.I. -- The Offshore Racing Association (ORA) was founded in August 2005 as a sailboat owners’ association dedicated to improving offshore racing for the large number of amateur cruiser racers. Now celebrating its 10th year, the organization has stayed true to its original purpose and has become one of the premier rule developers both nationally and internationally.
Over the past 10 years the organization has had sailors with experience on its Board of Directors. Board Members have always been willing to help with promotion and educational features as well as participate in face-to-face meetings to help race-organizing authorities with events. “From the beginning, input from owners and organizing authorities is what drives this organization to be customer-centric and to develop new and innovative systems,” states Bjorn Johnson, ORA Executive Director. Part of the ORA’s mission includes helping organizing authorities promote not only their events but also the use of handicapping systems that meets their needs.
Additionally, the Offshore Racing Association has worked with U.S. Sailing’s Offshore Office over the past decade to continually develop excellent customer service and support through their shared commitment to a customer-focused mission. The Association works to provide support to sailors and event organizers through US Sailing. US Sailing is often the first point of contact for boat owners who use their rating systems, boat measurement process and data management.
The ORA developed, owns, and manages the Offshore Racing Rule (ORR). Now the major offshore rating rule for North American offshore racing, it is also the chosen rule used in races such as: Newport Bermuda, Chicago Mackinac Race, Ocean Race North, Marblehead to Halifax Race and SoCal 300. The Association also manages the High Performance Rule (HPR) for races that offer HPR classes, including: TransPac Race, Rolex Big Boat Regatta, NYYC Annual Regatta, Charleston Race Week, Chicago Grand Prix Regatta, and many others.
Part of the Association’s 10th anniversary goal is to revise and update the ORR’s VPP (velocity prediction program), which provides the best handicapping system available today. The goal of ORA has always been and continues to be to create the fairest handicap system available. To help ensure this, rewrites keep the rule up-to-date with the latest design innovations. ORA also uses the latest scientific studies to guarantee the VPP models give ratings that allow for the fairest possible racing, regardless of boat design. Once this update is complete in the fall of 2015, the ORR will have the most advanced VPP program available for the widest variety of sailboats, including: Cruisers, Racer/Cruisers and Grand Prix Racers.
For more information about the Offshore Racing Association, please visit http://offshoreracingassociation.org/.
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Offshore Racing Association Celebrating its 10th Anniversary
July 27, 2015 at 09:15 AM EDT
