TP52 Class

Welcome to the TP52 website. The TP52 Class History can be found below and shows you where we come from. The key words “fast, fun, simple” indicate the original thoughts behind the TP52 Rule and Class. You have to read these words in contrast with designing and building one-off racing yachts for handicap rules such as IMS and IRC and in contrast with racing on handicap under whatever rule. It was felt at the time, and we firmly believe this is still the case, that especially in the larger sizes quite a few owners like to race one-off yachts but are willing to constrain themselves to fixed limits on the key dimensions and design options for the benefits of boat for boat racing. A boat designed and build to a boxrule as the happy medium between racing different concepts under a handicap rule and racing a one-design boat.

In the introductions to the TP52 Class and the TP52 yacht you will find where we stand today. The TP52 Class has grown from a non registered club of like minded yachtsmen inspired by the salesman- and leadership of Tom Pollack to a fully member controlled, registered and ISAF recognised Class with a proper set of Bylaws, an Annual Meeting, an Executive Committee made up out of the Members and a Class President who also has to be a Member. You can only be a TP52 Class Member if you own a TP52 or have one under construction.

The TP52 Class has grown rapidly to 20 – 25 members, which is a very good number for racing yachts of this size and competitive level. More than 10 nationalities distributed over 3 continents are represented in our Class. The main focus of TP52 racing has moved from the USA to the Med with the MedCup as the magnet for this move. The MedCup is undoubtedly the hottest ticket in town when considering yacht racing other than Americas Cup or long distance offshore racing. Ideally a similar circuit should exist in other quality sailing areas, like in the USA and possibly in the UK and Australia. In these areas a large number of TP52’s race under IRC, it seems a logic step to combine this with boat for boat racing again. For as we all know spending money on artificial changes for rating reasons and spending time at the bar on discussing handicaps can be replaced by far more interesting expenses on equipment that improve true performence and discussions on how the actual racing went and how to improve on that.

If we succeed in getting 2 or more fleets of TP52’s racing in their own territories, organised as Regional Fleets under the umbrella of the TP52 Class, then we might see this Class grow to a level never experienced before in the world of offshore yacht racing.

Rob Weiland, TP52 Class Manager