Geant - Scott Jutson lifts the wool over the new IRC 'Maxi-limits'

Future IRC 1.6 maxis will be closer in scale to Gianni Agnelli's Frers 95 Stealth (above) than to existing IMS and IRC designs such as Sagamore and Morning Glory

When the concept 'Maxi' was coined in the IOR era it served as a hard guideline for anyone wanting to race at the fastest and biggest end of the sport.

When IMS took over there was a temporary unwillingness on the part of the rulemakers to lock in an upper limit, but this eventually evolved in the mid-90s in the guise of the ILC 70. Unfortunately ILC 70s never enjoyed the support IOR maxis did, despite being better boats. 

The concept languished. Yachting, like nature, abhors a vacuum and into this flowed a range of concepts that made that of the maxi look staid.

For the remainder of this article please consult a copy of the November edition
of Seahorse.