WHAT THE DESIGNERS SAY.

Christian Stimpson -"Until Roaring Meg lost her mast in the offshore race of the Commodores' Cup, she was doing a great job of showing the yachting world what a dedicated IRM 35ft raceboat could be capable of.

Not only was she leading the small boat fleet with several wins under her belt but she frequently took time from the benchmark Farr 40s, occasionally beating them on the water. She seems to demonstrate a more balanced performance profile, having avoided the IRM righting moment trap".

Jason Ker-"IRM is certainly encouraging fast yachts which are a delight to sail. Anyone who has been racing a Farr 40 in the Rolex Commodores' Cup will be aware of just how fast a first generation IRM yacht can be. Next year, the rule should be even better, with some refinements made to grand-fathered length and other formulae by the rule makers.Through the season, the crews have learned to get some of the potential out of their new yachts and with SHAKERMAKER's convincing win at Cork Week in IRC preceeding ROARING MEG's display of speed at the Commodores' Cup, there can be no doubt that the IRM rule has a future. The general opinion among the crews of all the new IRM yachts is that yacht racing has never been more fun."

A SEASON OF UK RACING (feature)….
FORD CORK WEEK …However, in Class 2 Paul Churchill's SHAKERMAKER 2, another IRM design from the Ker drawing board, proved that it is possible to win under IRC and walked away with the silverware.
ROLEX COMMODORES' CUP
Those who have sailed IMS and IRM designs like ROARING MEG say they prefer the fast and fun boats which the new rule seeks to promote.
John Manley, Roaring Meg's co-owner, said later that day: "We were flying. We were moving the jib tracks out further, and every time we did it we were going faster. We were going past 2XL boat for boat." Not bad for a boat that is five feet shorter than the Farr 40.
There is no doubt Ker has designed some stunning boats this year, but the misadventures in the Rolex Commodores' Cup could have triggered a rethink about the fragility of runner-dependant rigs. - Matthew Sheahan