64 replies to this topic

[Icedtea]

Trawling through some old threads I found mention of IMS....seems to be an old rating rule.



I'm too young to remember, so would someone please explain WTF it was/is?

Thanks,
Kevin

[I'moutahere]

International Mystery System.

Cannot be explained.

[pogen]

International Measurement System.


Wikipedia:

The International Measurement System (IMS) is a system of handicapping sailboats for the purpose of racing that replaced the earlier International Offshore Rule (IOR) system in the early 1990s. It is managed by the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC).[1] In the sailing world it is usually referred to simply as 'IMS'.

IMS was the first yacht racing rule developed around the central idea of a Velocity prediction program (VPP). The VPP was a very highly developed computer program that integrated continuous hullform information in order to predict a given boat's speed. Boat owners much preferred this as they were able to design new yachts to maximise performance under the rule with a degree of certainty they had not enjoyed under the IOC rule. IMS is generally believed to have made and most expensive yachts were able to gain a significant technology advantage which the rule was less able to account for. Smaller yacht owners began to feel unfairly disadvantaged under the rule and between 2003 and 2007 much handicap racing around the world changed to using the newer IRC rule.

However, a club activities, heralding a return to the IMS system in a more modern form.

Long gone in these parts

[Grinder]

But lots of IMS designed boats around.

[Icedtea]

But lots of IMS designed boats around.

Sounds like a pretty terrible rule, like what boats were designed to it?

[hermetic]

But lots of IMS designed boats around.

Sounds like a pretty terrible rule, like what boats were designed to it?

It began as a good concept.

It got wierd / bizzaro / ugly / stupid within a few years.

Only the designers won.

[The Shadow]

Started life as MHS or Measurement Handicap System. It was the latest and greatest in the wake of the death of IOR. Originally the RC would enter in an average windspeed, direction, plus course information and results would be based on a given boat's VPP for the conditions sailed. I remember the first Block Island Race Week they used it....results took forever to be posted and there was great debate over the wind info being used. It was not uncommon to go out to race without knowing the results from the prior day! Eventually they dropped the windspeed and direction part of the formula and renamed the tweaked rule IMS.
In theory it was a great rule. Results were wholly dependent on who sailed their boat closest to her predicted potential for a given set of conditions and course configuration. Thus there were no "horses for courses" and no designing to the rule. Unfortunately reality was quite a bit different than the theory.

[Life Buoy 15]

But lots of IMS designed boats around.

Sounds like a pretty terrible rule, like what boats were designed to it?

Have a look at any IRC results sheet. The last 1/3 of the fleet will be boats designed under the IMS rule.

[Icedtea]

But lots of IMS designed boats around.

Sounds like a pretty terrible rule, like what boats were designed to it?

Have a look at any IRC results sheet. The last 1/3 of the fleet will be boats designed under the IMS rule.

....and the top third may well be from IOR....cough IRC'd quarter tonners.....




Sorry for dragging that one up again

[Swanno (Ohf Shore)]

[sam_crocker]

IMS has morphed into ORCi

The original boats weren't bad, but they didn't close a bias toward lower stability (e.g. wooden shoes on the bottom of the keel). As others have said, calculating race results was also sometimes a problem. It did do a pretty good job with racer/cruisers. It also required stability measurements which can create problems if not measured accurately.

[Jackovator]

I hope it hasn't "morphed" into ORCi - at the end of IMS boats were terrible tip trucks with tumblehome and enclosed transoms. Heinous pigs of things

 IMS 2004.jpg   27.87K   68 downloads

[Sailor90]

IMS has morphed into ORCi

(e.g. wooden shoes on the bottom of the keel)

That's my favorite, wooden boots on the bottom of the keels.

Oh and Icedtea, old enough to remember? I'm 23 and it's more like old enough to never know for me. Thank goodness for IRC, it maybe a type form rule but it has produced some really fast, sexy boats!

A few of the IMS boat are here on the Great Lakes. Promo (N/M 52), Raven (Tripp 43), Goblin (N/M 50), Talisman (B/C 58), & Defiance (J/V 66).

[dogwatch]

I remember the first Block Island Race Week they used it....results took forever to be posted and there was great debate over the wind info being used. It was not uncommon to go out to race without knowing the results from the prior day!

Similarly, an attempt to use IMS for a major regatta in the UK led to the event being named the "Comedy Cup". IMS never recovered from that set-back here.

Every time you hear about that new perfect rule that won't type-form and will handle different performance in different conditions, just remember that's the same snake oil that IMS was selling.

[gybe-ho!]

IMS has morphed into ORCi

(e.g. wooden shoes on the bottom of the keel)

That's my favorite, wooden boots on the bottom of the keels.

Oh and Icedtea, old enough to remember? I'm 23 and it's more like old enough to never know for me. Thank goodness for IRC, it maybe a type form rule but it has produced some really fast, sexy boats!

A few of the IMS boat are here on the Great Lakes. Promo (N/M 52), Raven (Tripp 43), Goblin (N/M 50), Talisman (B/C 58), & Defiance (J/V 66).

Promo...or Ptarmigan as she once was:



This is a very early shot of her test sailing. Later lost the shoe on the keel, took the lead out of the bilge and put it into a new short fat keel, longer pole and masthead kites. We should have left her in the Lakes after 2005 Harbor Springs regatta.

Here's another showing her slab sides:

[bgytr]

MHS / IMS was good when it started in the late 70s. Cruiser / racer type boats were of similar proportions enough to rate things somewhat fairly, certainly better than PHRF and IOR. As always, where the money flows, designers and engineers will exploit weaknesses by pushing boundaries of the rule, which is what they are paid to do. As computing power grew, designers could use more powerful simulation tools and compare results with respect to the IMS rating and optimize for certain conditions, etc.

Some early MHS purpose built boats were good all-around boats. Collaboration, and Gaucho are examples. But their coming onto the scene marked the beginning of the end for IMS. Prior to then, just about all of the IMS boats were production racer / cruisers. As soon as it became an arms race, the rule went the same way as every other handicap rule up til then has gone. Expensive, freakish boats became the norm for higher levels, and killed it.

[mad]

Trawling through some old threads I found mention of IMS....seems to be an old rating rule.



I'm too young to remember, so would someone please explain WTF it was/is?

Thanks,
Kevin

IMS = I'm a MesS

A perfect example of what the rule bred



Edit:
some background information

[SailRacer]

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...


Sail safe!

[Donjoman]

it was a rule that (a) promoted cruiser racers (emphasis on the racer) ( was insanely complicated from a measurement/handicap calculation (too many wind pattern simulations...) but allowed for development of the offshore yacht. Compared to IOR, it moved yacht design forward, creating faster, better balanced boats.

[Le Renard Subtil]

Like many above have said, it was a vast improvement, at first, over what came before. I was in college when IMS boats first started appearing on the Chesapeake (early 90's), and IMS boats then looked clean lined and functional. Take a Farr39ML, put it next to a one tonner of the same length, and one looks like the box that the other came in. It also performed like the box that the other came in, come to think of it. Our college team (St. Mary's) had IOR boats when I was a freshman, and IMS by the time I was a senior. The difference between a Heritage 37 and a Tripp 38 was absolutely staggering.

But, then, the difference between a Tripp 38 and a Soto 40 is even more pronounced. I saw a Tripp 38 the other day- well cared for, completely tricked out- but it looked........old fashioned. Made me feel old-fashioned.

[Tax Man]

It did a reasonable job of rating boats that were built before it was written, but once designers aimed for the optimal corners in the formula it got ugly.

[Presuming Ed]

Trying to find pictures of the ?Frers? red boat (?Siemens?) which had the big ski jump ramps at the bow and stern as a way of playing with freeboard measurements. No luck so far...

[Across the Pond]

Trying to find pictures of the ?Frers? red boat (?Siemens?) which had the big ski jump ramps at the bow and stern as a way of playing with freeboard measurements. No luck so far...

I'm trying to do the same thing with equally little luck!

EDIT: Spoke too soon...

For some reason (i.e. my own incompetence) I can't attach this as a picture. Follow the link and scroll down to 'Ugly Again'

Siemens IMS 600

[gybe-ho!]

Trying to find pictures of the ?Frers? red boat (?Siemens?) which had the big ski jump ramps at the bow and stern as a way of playing with freeboard measurements. No luck so far...

I'm trying to do the same thing with equally little luck!

EDIT: Spoke too soon...

For some reason (i.e. my own incompetence) I can't attach this as a picture. Follow the link and scroll down to 'Ugly Again'

Siemens IMS 600

There she is in all her glory...

[Rich Frye]

How cute, a baby Fazizi.

Trying to find pictures of the ?Frers? red boat (?Siemens?) which had the big ski jump ramps at the bow and stern as a way of playing with freeboard measurements. No luck so far...

I'm trying to do the same thing with equally little luck!

EDIT: Spoke too soon...

For some reason (i.e. my own incompetence) I can't attach this as a picture. Follow the link and scroll down to 'Ugly Again'

Siemens IMS 600

There she is in all her glory...

[The Commodore]

That's one of the ugliest boats I've ever seen, and I've been to a Mac26 dealer.

[Soley]

I still think the old CAM is the highlight of IMS stupidity. It is in a pic further up the thread but this is a little better.



The theory on tumblehome was to have the crew inside the boat hiking out further than the rule shows them hiking on deck. Very sad.

At least it had a better paint job than Siemens.

[Lee G]

IMS has morphed into ORCi

(e.g. wooden shoes on the bottom of the keel)

That's my favorite, wooden boots on the bottom of the keels.

Oh and Icedtea, old enough to remember? I'm 23 and it's more like old enough to never know for me. Thank goodness for IRC, it maybe a type form rule but it has produced some really fast, sexy boats!

A few of the IMS boat are here on the Great Lakes. Promo (N/M 52), Raven (Tripp 43), Goblin (N/M 50), Talisman (B/C 58), & Defiance (J/V 66).

Promo...or Ptarmigan as she once was:



This is a very early shot of her test sailing. Later lost the shoe on the keel, took the lead out of the bilge and put it into a new short fat keel, longer pole and masthead kites. We should have left her in the Lakes after 2005 Harbor Springs regatta.

Here's another showing her slab sides:

And here is her ass:

[gybe-ho!]

IMS has morphed into ORCi

(e.g. wooden shoes on the bottom of the keel)

That's my favorite, wooden boots on the bottom of the keels.

Oh and Icedtea, old enough to remember? I'm 23 and it's more like old enough to never know for me. Thank goodness for IRC, it maybe a type form rule but it has produced some really fast, sexy boats!

A few of the IMS boat are here on the Great Lakes. Promo (N/M 52), Raven (Tripp 43), Goblin (N/M 50), Talisman (B/C 58), & Defiance (J/V 66).

Promo...or Ptarmigan as she once was:



This is a very early shot of her test sailing. Later lost the shoe on the keel, took the lead out of the bilge and put it into a new short fat keel, longer pole and masthead kites. We should have left her in the Lakes after 2005 Harbor Springs regatta.

Here's another showing her slab sides:

And here is her ass:

Awww Mannnn, did ya have to, I'd just about got that image out of my head! The guys in the lakes firstly couldn't believe that we'd trucked a boat from RI to do the Mac race, then were convinced that it was a Michigan Alum that owned the boat due to the colour and lettering style on the bow.

[Pants]

We went the other way with the new boat

Attached Files

•  Screen shot 2011-10-27 at 10.46.43 AM.png   965.14K   119 downloads

[Mr. Squirrel]

There were some great IMS boats back in the day. The problem, like every rule, is when the designers figure out how to exploit the rule. Slab sided, wood keel boats were the illogical extension. The list of good IMS boats (in their all too brief day) are too numerous to name. My personal favorites remain Collaboration, Sensation, and Heartbeat.

MS

[Innocent Bystander]

There were some great IMS boats back in the day. The problem, like every rule, is when the designers figure out how to exploit the rule. Slab sided, wood keel boats were the illogical extension. The list of good IMS boats (in their all too brief day) are too numerous to name. My personal favorites remain Collaboration, Sensation, and Heartbeat.

MS

Basically, all published rules are like that. They start as an alternative to a rule which has run its course (IOR) and are advertised to fairly rate boats of seamanlike design. Over time, the edges are explored and poor boats that rate slower than they are result.

[gybe-ho!]

We went the other way with the new boat

And it's awesome. Good luck with the program this year, will be cheering from the cheap seats.

[Icedtea]

Jesus christ that Siemens boat was just fucked.......

[Swimsailor]

There were some great IMS boats back in the day. The problem, like every rule, is when the designers figure out how to exploit the rule. Slab sided, wood keel boats were the illogical extension. The list of good IMS boats (in their all too brief day) are too numerous to name. My personal favorites remain Collaboration, Sensation, and Heartbeat.

MS

N/M 49 Idler, Farr 49 Flash Gordon, R/P 66 Exile and Farr 81 Sayonara were my favs.

In '97 or '98 I remember reading an owner saying something to the effect: "This game is divided up into millionares and billionares. I'm no billionare and after this campaign I may not be a millionare anymore either."

It seems to me that IRC, even with its limitations, has produced some great boats with much more longevity. Look at all the TP52's winning in IRC and the 10 or so mini-maxis still racing. IMS boats were one and done. And the later ones were so damn ugly, no one wants them.

I also heard somewhere that the mid 90's IMS boats would make for great IRC conversions. For all you yacht design experts, any truth to that? Some of those boats still had pretty lines.

[Lee G]

There were some great IMS boats back in the day. The problem, like every rule, is when the designers figure out how to exploit the rule. Slab sided, wood keel boats were the illogical extension. The list of good IMS boats (in their all too brief day) are too numerous to name. My personal favorites remain Collaboration, Sensation, and Heartbeat.

MS

N/M 49 Idler, Farr 49 Flash Gordon, R/P 66 Exile and Farr 81 Sayonara were my favs.

In '97 or '98 I remember reading an owner saying something to the effect: "This game is divided up into millionares and billionares. I'm no billionare and after this campaign I may not be a millionare anymore either."

It seems to me that IRC, even with its limitations, has produced some great boats with much more longevity. Look at all the TP52's winning in IRC and the 10 or so mini-maxis still racing. IMS boats were one and done. And the later ones were so damn ugly, no one wants them.

I also heard somewhere that the mid 90's IMS boats would make for great IRC conversions. For all you yacht design experts, any truth to that? Some of those boats still had pretty lines.

Steve Benjamin has been very successful racing the old High Noon (mid 90's blt Tripp 41) under IRC. Farr 40 rig, new keel, non overlapping sailplan and a big ass bowsprit.

[Swimsailor]

Trying to find pictures of the ?Frers? red boat (?Siemens?) which had the big ski jump ramps at the bow and stern as a way of playing with freeboard measurements. No luck so far...

I'm trying to do the same thing with equally little luck!

EDIT: Spoke too soon...

For some reason (i.e. my own incompetence) I can't attach this as a picture. Follow the link and scroll down to 'Ugly Again'

Siemens IMS 600

Wow. 2004. That page took me back!

[gybe-ho!]

There were some great IMS boats back in the day. The problem, like every rule, is when the designers figure out how to exploit the rule. Slab sided, wood keel boats were the illogical extension. The list of good IMS boats (in their all too brief day) are too numerous to name. My personal favorites remain Collaboration, Sensation, and Heartbeat.

MS

N/M 49 Idler, Farr 49 Flash Gordon, R/P 66 Exile and Farr 81 Sayonara were my favs.

In '97 or '98 I remember reading an owner saying something to the effect: "This game is divided up into millionares and billionares. I'm no billionare and after this campaign I may not be a millionare anymore either."

It seems to me that IRC, even with its limitations, has produced some great boats with much more longevity. Look at all the TP52's winning in IRC and the 10 or so mini-maxis still racing. IMS boats were one and done. And the later ones were so damn ugly, no one wants them.

I also heard somewhere that the mid 90's IMS boats would make for great IRC conversions. For all you yacht design experts, any truth to that? Some of those boats still had pretty lines.

I remember seeing Idler out on the Lakes in Chicago in 2005...can't remember the name she was under then (Twister?), but she still had the Idler boom cover, turned inside out and the new name sewn on. Exile went on to be Blue Yankee and had a great run on the East Coast of the US racing against the trio of Farr 60's (Carrera, Rima and Highland Fling) and was reborn as Aroura in the last couple of years, still a great looking boat. Had a bunch of fun on the Farr 60's as IMS boats and again once they were IRC'd with new rigging, heavier bulbs, prods with masthead kites.

[Icedtea]

IMS has morphed into ORCi

(e.g. wooden shoes on the bottom of the keel)

That's my favorite, wooden boots on the bottom of the keels.

Oh and Icedtea, old enough to remember? I'm 23 and it's more like old enough to never know for me. Thank goodness for IRC, it maybe a type form rule but it has produced some really fast, sexy boats!

A few of the IMS boat are here on the Great Lakes. Promo (N/M 52), Raven (Tripp 43), Goblin (N/M 50), Talisman (B/C 58), & Defiance (J/V 66).

Promo...or Ptarmigan as she once was:



This is a very early shot of her test sailing. Later lost the shoe on the keel, took the lead out of the bilge and put it into a new short fat keel, longer pole and masthead kites. We should have left her in the Lakes after 2005 Harbor Springs regatta.

Here's another showing her slab sides:

And here is her ass:

Awww Mannnn, did ya have to, I'd just about got that image out of my head! The guys in the lakes firstly couldn't believe that we'd trucked a boat from RI to do the Mac race, then were convinced that it was a Michigan Alum that owned the boat due to the colour and lettering style on the bow.

That boat ptarmigan is actually pretty good looking until you see its ass.....

[smelly weasel]

That boat ptarmigan is actually pretty good looking until you see its ass.....



just like most girls

[House Salad]

There were some great IMS boats back in the day. The problem, like every rule, is when the designers figure out how to exploit the rule. Slab sided, wood keel boats were the illogical extension. The list of good IMS boats (in their all too brief day) are too numerous to name. My personal favorites remain Collaboration, Sensation, and Heartbeat.

MS

N/M 49 Idler, Farr 49 Flash Gordon, R/P 66 Exile and Farr 81 Sayonara were my favs.

In '97 or '98 I remember reading an owner saying something to the effect: "This game is divided up into millionares and billionares. I'm no billionare and after this campaign I may not be a millionare anymore either."

It seems to me that IRC, even with its limitations, has produced some great boats with much more longevity. Look at all the TP52's winning in IRC and the 10 or so mini-maxis still racing. IMS boats were one and done. And the later ones were so damn ugly, no one wants them.

I also heard somewhere that the mid 90's IMS boats would make for great IRC conversions. For all you yacht design experts, any truth to that? Some of those boats still had pretty lines.

Steve Benjamin has been very successful racing the old High Noon (mid 90's blt Tripp 41) under IRC. Farr 40 rig, new keel, non overlapping sailplan and a big ass bowsprit.

They've got two of them. High Noon (USA 1200) (White) and After Midnight (USA 1201) (Black). Here's High Noon:
 2011 Fall Series 22 Oct 934 Cropped Resized.jpg   473.58K   46 downloads

[Left Hook]

Exile went on to be Blue Yankee and had a great run on the East Coast of the US racing against the trio of Farr 60's (Carrera, Rima and Highland Fling) and was reborn as Aroura in the last couple of years, still a great looking boat.

Still a fun, beautiful boat to sail. Was born before all the kookiness of later IMS (94?), had periodic updates (including a turboing - but you knew that) and still does well under ORR. 2nd in class Bermuda 2010 and 1st in class Marblehead to Halifax 2011.

Edit: Pics

As Exile with Bitchin lime green paint job:




July 2011:

There were some great IMS boats back in the day. The problem, like every rule, is when the designers figure out how to exploit the rule. Slab sided, wood keel boats were the illogical extension. The list of good IMS boats (in their all too brief day) are too numerous to name. My personal favorites remain Collaboration, Sensation, and Heartbeat.

MS

N/M 49 Idler, Farr 49 Flash Gordon, R/P 66 Exile and Farr 81 Sayonara were my favs.

In '97 or '98 I remember reading an owner saying something to the effect: "This game is divided up into millionares and billionares. I'm no billionare and after this campaign I may not be a millionare anymore either."

It seems to me that IRC, even with its limitations, has produced some great boats with much more longevity. Look at all the TP52's winning in IRC and the 10 or so mini-maxis still racing. IMS boats were one and done. And the later ones were so damn ugly, no one wants them.

I also heard somewhere that the mid 90's IMS boats would make for great IRC conversions. For all you yacht design experts, any truth to that? Some of those boats still had pretty lines.

Steve Benjamin has been very successful racing the old High Noon (mid 90's blt Tripp 41) under IRC. Farr 40 rig, new keel, non overlapping sailplan and a big ass bowsprit.

They've got two of them. High Noon (USA 1200) (White) and After Midnight (USA 1201) (Black). Here's High Noon:
 2011 Fall Series 22 Oct 934 Cropped Resized.jpg   473.58K   46 downloads

FYI G. After Midnight sold to Jersey in late August.

[gybe-ho!]

That boat ptarmigan is actually pretty good looking until you see its ass.....
[/quote]

The ugly ass end was exactly that, but had two lockers for the liferafts so they were out of the way and protected, awesome place for TK to stand so he could see over everyone's heads! The enclosed cockpit did cause a bit of a problem when the boys filled it up during the Mobay race, winter refit included new much larger cockpit drains, that's when the liferaft lockers went in too and all the IRC mods were made.

[Swimsailor]

Love those Sharon Green shots of Exile. I do believe those were from one of the last editions of the Kenwood Cup. The demise of Kenwood was one of the casualties of IMS getting so out of hand.

Here's a pic I found of Exile (Aurora) and Blue Yankee. Really cool to see 12 years of design evolution and IMS vs. IRC from the same design office.

[Grinder]

Here is N/M50 IDLER/Promo/Goblin, 2007. Sorry not a great pic.

Attached Files

•  233_13631320951_645270951_785313_6081_n.jpg   36.26K   34 downloads

[Left Hook]

Love those Sharon Green shots of Exile. I do believe those were from one of the last editions of the Kenwood Cup. The demise of Kenwood was one of the casualties of IMS getting so out of hand.

Here's a pic I found of Exile (Aurora) and Blue Yankee. Really cool to see 12 years of design evolution and IMS vs. IRC from the same design office.

[branch]

Another picture of N/M 50 Idler/Promo/Goblin:

Attached Files

•  goblin2.JPG   723.24K   42 downloads

[branch]

Another picture of N/M 50 Idler/Promo/Goblin:

Attached Files

•  goblin1.JPG   675.27K   36 downloads

[Spar Wars]

IMS morfed to ORR..correct?

I've found that the IMS measurements are being used for 'sisterships' (around 1985 dates) in ORR.

Here's a 'cheater' IOR 3/4 tonner...now this is an ass! (1976 Contention 33, Peterson design)

 SW1 001.jpg   40.86K   36 downloads

 SW1.jpg   29.68K   35 downloads

Attached Files

•  contention-33.jpg   26.7K   27 downloads

[Sailor90]

 GoblinResize3.jpg   986.1K   116 downloads

Goblin had a wooden boot on the bottom of her keel.

[BayRacer]

There were some great IMS boats back in the day. The problem, like every rule, is when the designers figure out how to exploit the rule. Slab sided, wood keel boats were the illogical extension. The list of good IMS boats (in their all too brief day) are too numerous to name. My personal favorites remain Collaboration, Sensation, and Heartbeat.

MS

N/M 49 Idler, Farr 49 Flash Gordon, R/P 66 Exile and Farr 81 Sayonara were my favs.

In '97 or '98 I remember reading an owner saying something to the effect: "This game is divided up into millionares and billionares. I'm no billionare and after this campaign I may not be a millionare anymore either."

It seems to me that IRC, even with its limitations, has produced some great boats with much more longevity. Look at all the TP52's winning in IRC and the 10 or so mini-maxis still racing. IMS boats were one and done. And the later ones were so damn ugly, no one wants them.

I also heard somewhere that the mid 90's IMS boats would make for great IRC conversions. For all you yacht design experts, any truth to that? Some of those boats still had pretty lines.

I remember seeing Idler out on the Lakes in Chicago in 2005...can't remember the name she was under then (Twister?), but she still had the Idler boom cover, turned inside out and the new name sewn on. Exile went on to be Blue Yankee and had a great run on the East Coast of the US racing against the trio of Farr 60's (Carrera, Rima and Highland Fling) and was reborn as Aroura in the last couple of years, still a great looking boat. Had a bunch of fun on the Farr 60's as IMS boats and again once they were IRC'd with new rigging, heavier bulbs, prods with masthead kites.

I don't remember all the details, but Twister is Dubois 50 right about last generation IMS boat. Sailed with them a few years before work, family, and other sailing got in way. Kevlar hull. Was Eagle(??) in UK before coming to USA/Great Lakes.

[strbrdtckr]

Somebody buy the damn boat, or at least make a decent offer to the old man. The boat still has a few good years in her.
She was a fun ride as Goblin.

 GoblinResize3.jpg   986.1K   116 downloads

Goblin had a wooden boot on the bottom of her keel.

[Presuming Ed]

IMS morfed to ORR..correct?

IMS morphed into ORCi and ORC Club - both run by the same organisation which ran IMS, the Offshore Racing Congress.

ORR - the Offshore Racing Rule - is a VPP based rule started by the Chicago YC, CCA and Transpac YC who came together to form the Offshore Racing Association. http://www.offshorerace.org/

[gybe-ho!]

There were some great IMS boats back in the day. The problem, like every rule, is when the designers figure out how to exploit the rule. Slab sided, wood keel boats were the illogical extension. The list of good IMS boats (in their all too brief day) are too numerous to name. My personal favorites remain Collaboration, Sensation, and Heartbeat.

MS

N/M 49 Idler, Farr 49 Flash Gordon, R/P 66 Exile and Farr 81 Sayonara were my favs.

In '97 or '98 I remember reading an owner saying something to the effect: "This game is divided up into millionares and billionares. I'm no billionare and after this campaign I may not be a millionare anymore either."

It seems to me that IRC, even with its limitations, has produced some great boats with much more longevity. Look at all the TP52's winning in IRC and the 10 or so mini-maxis still racing. IMS boats were one and done. And the later ones were so damn ugly, no one wants them.

I also heard somewhere that the mid 90's IMS boats would make for great IRC conversions. For all you yacht design experts, any truth to that? Some of those boats still had pretty lines.

I remember seeing Idler out on the Lakes in Chicago in 2005...can't remember the name she was under then (Twister?), but she still had the Idler boom cover, turned inside out and the new name sewn on. Exile went on to be Blue Yankee and had a great run on the East Coast of the US racing against the trio of Farr 60's (Carrera, Rima and Highland Fling) and was reborn as Aroura in the last couple of years, still a great looking boat. Had a bunch of fun on the Farr 60's as IMS boats and again once they were IRC'd with new rigging, heavier bulbs, prods with masthead kites.

I don't remember all the details, but Twister is Dubois 50 right about last generation IMS boat. Sailed with them a few years before work, family, and other sailing got in way. Kevlar hull. Was Eagle(??) in UK before coming to USA/Great Lakes.

Maybe I am mistaken on the name Twister then, I remember the inside out boom cover and also the boat had a wheel that was altered to look like it was damaged or twisted, hence my recollection (wrongly) of the name.

[gybe-ho!]

Love those Sharon Green shots of Exile. I do believe those were from one of the last editions of the Kenwood Cup. The demise of Kenwood was one of the casualties of IMS getting so out of hand.

Here's a pic I found of Exile (Aurora) and Blue Yankee. Really cool to see 12 years of design evolution and IMS vs. IRC from the same design office.

Two Blue Yankees side by side, cool! Good to see that the new boat finally grew a prod, she seemed odd running that huge pole.

[BayRacer]

I don't remember all the details, but Twister is Dubois 50 right about last generation IMS boat. Sailed with them a few years before work, family, and other sailing got in way. Kevlar hull. Was Eagle(??) in UK before coming to USA/Great Lakes.
[/quote]

Maybe I am mistaken on the name Twister then, I remember the inside out boom cover and also the boat had a wheel that was altered to look like it was damaged or twisted, hence my recollection (wrongly) of the name.
[/quote]

Twister's wheel has one-to-one linkage to emulate tiller control. It spans pretty much whole cockpit. The bottom of the wheel does have "flats" to allow for walkway through cockpit at the dock.

[Bow Movement]

I'll never forget this gem.

[Blur]

Still popular in Chile. ORCi 42 by Javier Soto Acebal.
http://www.sotoacebal.com/sailboat.htm

[Swimsailor]

Still popular in Chile. ORCi 42 by Javier Soto Acebal.
http://www.sotoacebal.com/sailboat.htm

Amazing. I lived in Santiago in the mid 90's. Cool to see that fleet alive and well!

[Icedtea]

Still popular in Chile. ORCi 42 by Javier Soto Acebal.
http://www.sotoacebal.com/sailboat.htm

Those sides are ridiculous......

[Presuming Ed]

Promo...or Ptarmigan as she once was:



This is a very early shot of her test sailing. Later lost the shoe on the keel, took the lead out of the bilge and put it into a new short fat keel, longer pole and masthead kites. We should have left her in the Lakes after 2005 Harbor Springs regatta.

For sale. Price: $289,000. Value......

http://www.yachtworl...3/United-States

[gybe-ho!]

Nice find Ed, so much I'd forgotten about that goofy boat, ahhhh mammaries!

[facthunt]

delivered an ims boat for optimisation once, they took lead out of the keel and put it in the mast (shaky jake)
apparently this improved the rating no end.
parked it half way back and told the owner to find another jokey.

[elby]

IMS morfed to ORR..correct?

I've found that the IMS measurements are being used for 'sisterships' (around 1985 dates) in ORR.

Here's a 'cheater' IOR 3/4 tonner...now this is an ass! (1976 Contention 33, Peterson design)

 SW1 001.jpg   40.86K   36 downloads

 SW1.jpg   29.68K   35 downloads

going downwind was like going to the casino... you never knew which way it would broach!

[SemiSalt]

I saw Ptarmigan many times, and I never thought she was ugly.

I came across this article a day or two ago: http://www.usna.edu/...ler/MTcombo.pdf They found that the IMS VPP was excellent. That would be for evaluating boats not designed to it.

There is no rule of physics that says the fastest boats have to be beautiful, easy to sail, or devoid of idiotic features.