At the ISAF meeting in November three organisations, the Royal Ocean Racing Club, US Sailing and the Offshore Racing Council agreed to form a joint Rule Working Party with the aim of examining the feasibility and possible form of an international rating rule for grand prix racing.

Whilst this work is very much in line with a recommendation to the ISAF Council that a working group be set up to review the philosophy of a rule that was supported internationally, it is stressed that the Rule Working Party Is not an ISAF body. ISAF will be informed of its work, but the Rule Working Party is accountable to the 3 stakeholders who are funding this work.

The Rule Working Party will be chaired by the French international yachtsman, Jean-Louis Fabry and comprises the following:

US Sailing Peter Reichelsdorfer
Stan Honey
RORC Stuart Quarrie
David Lyons
ORC Manolo Ruiz de Elvira
Paolo Massarini
Consultant Olin Stephens

In addition, each of the three stakeholders may send their own technical representative. These nominations are based on their expertise and cover the whole range of interested parties from owners through designers to event organisers. A key factor has been to ensure that the working party is not seen as being representative of any interest group, but comprised of independent experts.

We have now progressed to the stage of the first meeting of the Rule Working Party which will take place in Annapolis on 24/25 March. As a stakeholder in this work, RORC's aims are to ensure stability and continuity in rating rules to allow grand prix events such as the Admiral's Cup to flourish, and for yachtsmen to be able to compete at the highest level, world wide, under one rating rule that encourages attractive exciting racing boats.

For RORC to properly contribute to the project, it needs to represent the views of as many interested parties as possible. It is intended to seek views on a number of relevant issues after the first RWP meeting in order to be as focused as possible in what we ask.

12 March 2003