With this article, we aim to explain the corrected time scoring system that will be used for the Centomiglia 2026, with the goal of having fairer rankings and greater chances of a final result for medium-small boats.

The first thing to understand is that the term “All Purpose” does not refer to the scoring calculation method, but rather the type of theoretical course used by ORC to calculate that rating. In ORC, the All Purpose Handicap, APH, is an average of the boat’s performance across various wind intensities and all wind directions distributed evenly.

Then, there are two ways to transform that rating into corrected time:

1. In All Purpose Time on Distance, ToD, (applied to the CentoMiglia 2025) the allowance is expressed in seconds per mile. Therefore the concept is: on every mile of the course, a boat must “give” or “receive” a certain number of seconds compared to a competitor. The ORC formula is based on elapsed time minus an allowance that depends on the course distance. Because of this, in ToD, the official length of the race matters immensely.
2. With All Purpose Time on Time, ToT, alternatively, (applied to the CentoMiglia 2026) the allowance is a coefficient that is multiplied by the elapsed time spent in the race. Here, the distance is not needed to make the final calculation. What counts is how much time you spent on the water: the longer the race lasts in terms of minutes or hours, the more the allowance grows.

Put very simply, ToD reasons “by miles,” while ToT reasons “by time”. In ToD, you think like this: “I must stay ahead by X seconds for every mile”. In ToT, you think like this: “My elapsed time is multiplied by a coefficient”.

Imagine a 10-mile race. If a boat has an advantage or disadvantage of 20 seconds per mile, in ToD the total calculation becomes 200 seconds, which is 3 minutes and 20 seconds. In ToT, however, you do not calculate based on the 10 miles: you take the final elapsed time and multiply it by the coefficient ToT. This makes the two systems different in how the result is read, even though ORC considers them equivalent as simple scoring options.

From a practical point of view, many sailors find ToD more intuitive, because it is easy to understand “how much you have to give” to others on the course. ToT, however, is often considered fairer when there is current, because it is based on the actual duration of the race and not just the declared distance.

Therefore:

All Purpose = the course model used by the certificate

Time on Distance = allowance in seconds per mile

Time on Time (CentoMiglia 2026) = allowance as a multiplier of elapsed time

Imagine two boats, A and B, in an ORC race with an All Purpose rating. In ORC, “All Purpose” means that the rating is calculated on a theoretical course that mixes all points of sail, not just windward-leeward. Then, that rating can be used in two simple ways: Time on Distance or Time on Time.

1. Example with All Purpose Time on Distance (applied to last year’s CentoMiglia)

In ToD, the allowance is expressed in seconds per mile and the ORC formula is essentially: corrected time = elapsed time – (allowance x distance).

Let’s hypothesize, for example, that:

the race is 10 miles

boat A has ToD 600 s/NM

boat B has ToD 630 s/NM

This means that boat B receives 30 seconds per mile compared to A. Over 10 miles, B’s total advantage is: 30 x 10 = 300 seconds, which is 5 minutes.

Therefore, to beat B, boat A must finish ahead by more than 5 minutes.

If this happens on the water:

A finishes in 1h 40′ 00″

B finishes in 1h 44′ 00″

A has gained only 4 actual minutes. But B is entitled to 5 minutes of allowance, so in the rankings B wins by 1 corrected minute. This is because in ToD, the calculation depends directly on the length of the course.

2. Developing the same example with All Purpose Time on Time (applied to the CentoMiglia 2026)

In ToT, instead, you do not reason in seconds per mile, but with a coefficient to multiply by the elapsed time:

corrected time = ToT coefficient x elapsed time. ORC also indicates the standard relationship ToT = 600 / ToD.

If we use the ToDs from before:

for A, ToT = 600 / 600 = 1.000

for B, ToT = 600 / 630 ≈ 0.952

Now we take the same elapsed times:

A = 1h 40′ 00″ = 6000 s

B = 1h 44′ 00″ = 6240 s

Corrected time:

A: 6000 x 1.000 = 6000 s

B: 6240 x 0.952 ≈ 5940 s

So this time B wins again, but the reasoning is different: not because it takes seconds per mile, but because its elapsed time is adjusted with a coefficient. In ToT, the longer the race lasts, the more the effect of the allowance grows.

The Real Difference, Simply Stated In ToD you ask yourself: “How many minutes must I give that boat over this distance?” In ToT (applied to the CentoMiglia 2026) you ask yourself: “What coefficient will my final time be multiplied by?”

Therefore: ToD = more intuitive on the water, because you can say “I have to stay ahead by X seconds per mile” ToT = more tied to the actual duration of the race, not the declared distance of the course

Easy Memory Phrase To remember it quickly: ToD = allowance per mile ToT = allowance per time

Discover the updates and regulations of the 76th edition: