NOR Rating Rules
Updated 13.3.2025 - English translation
For racing under NOR Rating, the NOR Rating Rules apply.
A. Authority
NOR Rating is the authority for the NOR Rating Rules. The rules are set by the NOR Rating board.
Notice of Race or Sailing Instructions for a regatta cannot change the NOR Rating Rules.
In the case of national championships or cups, NOR Rating provides guidelines for the regatta format.
B. Racing Rules
WS – Racing Rules of Sailing, with the Norwegian Sailing Association’s prescriptions, apply. May be replaced by IRPCAS as decided by the organizer.
Where the Racing Rules refer to class rules, the NOR Rating Rules apply.
C. Safety
The organizer shall assess hazards at the regatta and set safety rules. These shall be announced in the Notice of Race.
WS - Offshore Special Regulations or NOR Rating - Simple safety regulations, apply as decided by the organizer. For sailing in international waters (12nm), OSR safety category 0-4 shall always be determined, with possible changes.
The organizer shall, if necessary, notify of special safety risks, such as dangerous, unmarked shallows and unusual commercial traffic.
A boat racing must be equipped and sail in accordance with the safety regulations that have been announced. The organizer may carry out safety checks in connection with the regatta without warning.
D. Handicap system
NOR Rating uses the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) handicap system, as given in the ORC Rating Systems (RS) and the International Measurement System (IMS). NOR Rating Rules supersede ORC rules in case of conflict.
All methods offered by ORC for scoring may be freely used, except for these restrictions:
a) The methods shall preferably use the time-on-time calculation method, i.e.: corrected time = sailed time x rating number.
b) When using single or triple numbers for fixed standard course geometries, the rating numbers in the national table in the certificate shall be used.
E. Certificate
A NOR Rating certificate is an ORC Club certificate issued by NSF. For these the following applies:
a) Measurements are determined and recorded by an authorized measurer.
b) Sail parameters and other critical parameters shall be measured physically.
c) Non-critical measurements may be obtained from a sister boat or other sources.
d) Hull, displacement and stability are not measured physically, the measurements are obtained from a sister boat.
e) Uncertainty in a measurement shall be reflected in a correspondingly faster rating, and shall normally not lead to a deviation in the rating greater than 0.1%.
f) Lower limit for crew weight shall not be used.
g) Upper limit for the amount of drinking water and fuel in the boat's ordinary, permanently installed tanks shall not be used.
h) The rating does not take into account the material of the sailcloth.
i) Cushions may be removed from the forepeak if it is used to contain the spinnaker. In the period October – March, the boats can sail without cushions, without changing the IMS category.
j) Physical measurement of critical parameters and obtaining measurements from a sister boat may be replaced by estimation. Certificates with such estimated measurements shall be marked with "Simplified measurement".
For the validity of NOR Rating certificates, this applies:
a) The validity period is stated in the certificate. When purchasing a new certificate during the period, only the most recently issued certificate is valid. Older certificates become invalid.
b) Certificates based on a one-design certificate follow the same rules as other certificates with regard to validity period and use.
c) In the event of a change of ownership, a certificate can be used by the new owner for the entire validity period.
d) During a regatta, the organizer may, without notice, check the boat against its certificate.
When choosing a certificate, the following applies:
a) The organizer decides and announces whether an ORC International or NOR Rating certificate is required. In a regatta with only Norwegian boats, both types of measurement certificates may be used, unless the organizer has decided otherwise. If the regatta is also open to foreign boats, these may only participate with an ORC International measurement certificate.
b) For each of the classes that are set up, the organizer shall decide and announce which of the three certificate types the boats can enter with: Full crew, Doublehanded or Without spinnaker/flying headsail.
c) The organizer may split and merge classes after the entry deadline has expired. In such a case, the result shall be calculated with the certificate that the individual boat originally entered with.