The VPP Rule for North America's
Premier Ocean Racers
The VPP Rule Accessible and
Fair for All Racers
Our mission is to ensure fair ratings for boats of all ages, making racing enjoyable and accessible for competitors and volunteers alike.
Unlike other rules, our VPP (Velocity Prediction Program) is not typeforming and does not favor newer designs over older designs. We have resources for sailors to sailmakers, regatta organizers to race committees. We are also always here to help.
WHAT SAILORS and RACE COMMITTEES HAVE TO SAY
“The Pensacola Bay Cruising Fleet was one of the first in the GYA to embrace the EZ rating platform. The VPP-based EZ system has been very enlightening for the sailors in our area and the ability of the race committee to select course types and apply real time wind strengths has been a huge benefit in helping to grow our fleet. Our race organizers have embraced the EZ concept and quickly recognized the ease and benefits of this system.”
Rick Zern, Aileen (Beneteau 41s5)
Pensacola Bay Cruising Fleet
“One of the remarkable achievements of the VPP technology developed by [ORR Technical Director] Jim Teeters is the ORR’s impressive ability to fairly handicap extremely diverse fleets.“
Stan Honey
'The smartest man in yachting'
“The key points that sold us on EZ are:
- Outsourcing ratings to a national source has taken the local politics out of rating boats.
- EZ allows old & new, and displacement & planing hull boats to compete fairly.
- PCS (Performance Curve Scoring) has eliminated the burden on our RC to pick the wind speeds.”
Merlin Wilson, Alegre (J/27)
Southern YC Handicap Fleet Captain
Application and Certificate Management
Apply, renew, check status or order a trial certificate for each rule at the links below. ORR certificates are processed by the US Sailing Offshore Office, while EZ certificates are processed directly via the portal hosted by our technical partner, Regatta Management Solutions.
Polar Performance Packages
An indispensable resource for offshore competitors, delivering actionable insights to help you extract peak performance from your boat using the most advanced data available. Valid certificates are required.
Valid Certificate List
All current valid certificates can be found here. Certificates from past years are archived here, as well.
RULE BOOKS
The ORR and EZ each have their own rule book, which you can download here for free.
Race Management
We have links to key resources aimed to make your job easier.
News
March 31, 2025
March 20, 2025