1) This rating limit is intended to equal "The speed of a canting keel maxZ86 on the Transpac Course". It is intended to allow both maxZ86s and non maxZ86s to compete for shortest elapsed time as well as the overall fleet handicap trophies. To be eligible to enter 2005 Transpac yachts must not exceed these rating and length limits. Ratings for this limit shall be determined by a secret formula administered by US Sailing. Yachts or designs are permitted trial ratings to see whether they rate faster or slower than this limit, and to help potential entrants conform to this rating limit.

2) Yachts must meet Category 1 of the 2004-2005 ISAF Special Regulations Governing Offshore and Oceanic Equipment and Preparation Including US SAILING Prescriptions.

3) All features and methods which are permitted by the 2004 IMS Rule are permitted. In addition, the following features are permitted:

1. Retractable rudders.
2. Bilge boards within 30 degrees of vertical (in boat coordinates).
3. A trim tab on a fixed keel or on a centerline dagger board.
4. Headsails with a mid girth of between 50% and 75% of the foot length shall be rated as the faster of either jibs or spinnakers with the sail's measured area.
5. Lifting keels, where the keel may be lifted while racing. The boat must meet the Category 1stability index in IMS Regulation 201 for all keel positions used while racing.
6. Cat Rigs. Cat rigs shall be rated with the IMS specified fore triangle.
7. If the permitted water ballast is selectively used to adjust trim, the effect of that trim shall be rated.

4) The following items are prohibited regardless of their standing in the IMS.

1. Kite Sails
2. Lifting hydrofoils
3. Schooner rigs
4. Rotating masts
5. Any movement of a canting keel other than by rotation around a single axis in the centerplane of the yacht.
6. Wings on rudders or other appendages. Keels shall be limited to 900mm in width. All other appendages shall be limited to 200mm in width.
7. Water ballast tanks on centerline.
8. Any keel material with a density greater than lead.
9. Multihulls. In any transverse section, depth may not increase with increasing beam.

5) For all features which are permitted by the IMS, trial rating data shall be submitted in accordance with IMS procedure. For additional features permitted in section 3 above, detail descriptions and drawings of the features shall be provided to US Sailing who shall determine appropriate measurement and calculation procedures.

6) For final rating, yachts shall submit a valid IMS certificate, the measurements of which will be used to calculate the Transpac rating. If any of the permitted features in item 3 above are included, an experimental IMS certificate, with dimensions measured by a certified measurer in accordance with US Sailing procedures and issued by US Sailing shall be submitted.

7) "The number of trial ratings shall be limited to 30. This limit of 30 shall be per owner regardless of the number of designers engaged. 20 trial ratings may be issued at any time. The remaining 10 will only be issued after the actual hull and appendage measurements have been submitted to US Sailing by a certified measurer. All trial ratings shall be reported to the nearest 0.1 second per mile."

8) Trial ratings will be expressed in seconds per mile and as "plus or minus" relative to the limit.

9) The cost for of each trial rating shall be $ 1,200.

10) Those owners who have contributed $5000 to the Transpac-US Sailing effort to develop this rule shall receive a discount of $200 per trial certificate.

11) Length is restricted as follows:

A) Yachts which have an IMS age date of June 30, 2004 or earlier may have an LOA up to 30 meters.

B) Yachts which have an IMS Age Date later than June 30, 2004 must meet one of the following length requirements:

1) The hull length overall (LOA) shall not be greater than 26.42 meters.

2) The maximum length allowed by the maxZ86 rule, specifically sections 5.3 - 5.5 - 5.11.1 - 5.11.3 - and 5.12.1 of the March 21, 2004 version.

C) Age date - updates if ballast type or hull shape is changed.

12) It is the intent that the secret formula will remain unchanged. However, if US Sailing finds significant loopholes in the formula, it reserves the right to make the required adjustments and reissue all trial ratings issued to date. There will be no additional charge for this reissue.

13) IMS waives, and TPYC intends to waive, certain rules in the RRS to permit the use of stored power to adjust movable ballast. However rapid, powered adjustments of movable ballast which result in propulsion are in violation of RRS 42.1.

14) The 2005 Transpac Notice of Race has not been issued as yet, but a review is suggested of the 2003 NOR as many of the same items will apply. Special attention is called to Section 17.2 on tankage.

15) Irrespective of a specific class rule, halyard locks are permitted on any halyard, but must be capable of both being engaged and released from a point not more than 2 meters above the local deck surface.

16) The deadline for submitting final rating data to US Sailing is noon, EDT, Friday, June 3, 2005. The receipt of this final data must be acknowledged by US Sailing. Any yacht failing to submit final rating data by the deadline will be penalized ten (10) minutes of elapsed time for every business day the final rating data is late past the deadline. Sail measurements may be declared and submitted in advance of measuring the sails provided prior to July 1, 2005, the measurer acknowledges to US Sailing receipt of sail certificates verifying that no sail exceeds the declared measurements.

17) This rule is administered by US Sailing:
Their contact information is: US SAILING

Dan Nowlan
PO Box 1260,
Portsmouth, RI 02871-0907
Phone 401-683-0800 - 664
Fax 401-683-0840
E-Mail DanNowlan@ussailing.org

Addendum:

The following statement is not part of the rule, nor is it binding on future Transpac boards, however it represents the current board's direction regarding future limits.

"Consistent with past practice, Transpac will use this limit in 2007, technically updated if needed, unless the Board decides the limit should be raised to accommodate an organized group of larger or faster boats that have expressed interest in entering."

The official 2005 TransPac Yacht Race Website http://www.transpacificyc.org
Website © 2004/2005
Doug Vann, Lisa Niemczura, Walt Niemczura