Originally called Channel Handicap, the rule was developed in 1983 at a time when there was a strong decline in the turnout for racing at the then predominant
IOR (International Offshore Rule). The British RORC and the French UNCL, who jointly developed the rule, saw it as a means to get the "average club sailor" involved in racing, in the hope that they would subsequently upgrade their boat to participate under the IOR rule, or possibly the
IMS handicapping system if that became more established. The key people in its initial development were Keith Ludlow, Jonathan Hudson and Jean Sans, and then Tim Thornton took over the RORC side of things in the final development of the rule and its subsequent launch. The rule was designed to favour heavy cruising boats with lower sail areas, dissuading more extreme racing yachts coming in to Channel Handicap. It was also designed to use the minimum number of measurements, in contrast to both the IOR and IMS, and to have owners measure their own boats, to make it simple and economic to implement. It quickly became popular, and even more so when the rule was extended to include day sailing keelboats, extending from the origin need for cruising style accommodation and more stringent safety equipment for sailing offshore. An attempt was also made to extend it to include multihulls, though this failed due to the political differences between the monohull and multihull sailors and their clubs. It quickly outgrew the Channel in its reach, and in 2000 was renamed IRC. In 2003 it was recognised as an international rule by
ISAF. Racing under IRC has become more competitive over the years, and it is used in hundred of clubs races, open events and the major offshore classic races around the world. ==Notes==