A security date watermark will be printed across all valid Spinlock IRC certificates issued from 19 May 2016. This will make it quick and easy to identify a valid certificate (or copy certificate) issued by RORC or UNCL.

Current, valid certificates issued before 19 May 2016 are still valid and will not be reprinted.

Trial certificates will not include the watermark.

Regarding the new Cutter Rig definitions in the IRC Rule, when is a boat 'on a beat to windward'?

ISAF CASE 132
Rule 18.1(a), Mark-Room: When Rule 18 Applies
Rule 42.3(c), Propulsion: Exceptions
A boat is ‘on a beat to windward’ when the course she would sail to finish as soon as possible in the absence of all other boats is a close-hauled course or above.

Following the meeting of the ERS Q&A Panel at the ISAF Annual Conference, an answer to the Q&A posed by IRC regarding backstays and running backstays has now been published on the ISAF website and can be found here: http://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/ERSQA00115-[19767].pdf 

Or download the PDF here.

If you are having your boat weighed for IRC it needs to be in IRC Measurement Condition.  This is described in IRC Rule 17.1 and 17.2 and also applies to measuring the Overhangs and the Draft.

One way we often describe it is that if you turn the boat upside down and shake it, nothing would fall out (although we don't expect you to actually try this!).