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ed_spengeman
1st Mate

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USA
98 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/27/2006 : 21:23:05

We have perf handicapping on our small inland lake. The guy that put together the rating now wants a further concession. Since he drives a Compac 23, he can almost start an hour later and still win against Catalina, Capris, Hunters, etc. To make this happen, he thinks the course should favor all points of sail and not have long beats. He thinks that is what the purpose of handicapping is.

Do any of you guys change course to make it "fairer"? I think, at some point, you have to take what you brung and race it. Comments?

ed spengeman
Indianapolis (geist)
Port Captain
Palakida
83 tr/sk

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 06/27/2006 : 21:44:31

As a P.R.O if my fleet is JAM, I usually choose a triangle plus windward leeward. It is the fairest course for JAM boats. If you are running spinnaker - double windward leeward.
If you are intermixed, then I'd have each on a separate start and run different courses...It must be in the SI's of course.

All points of sail is a bit extreme. Also, the great equalizer for those running a combined JAM and SPIn is a triangle only. There are very few big venues where you will find this.

Also - go to US Sailing and get the PHRF Rating book. See how good the guy measured you all.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5909 Posts

Response Posted - 06/28/2006 : 06:47:46

When a race committee chooses a certain race course, it should be because it is interesting, challenging and reasonably fair to all. They shouldn't use a course that unreasonably favors one boat or class of boat over another. Standard race courses that are used include triangular courses and windward/leeward courses. PHRF handicaps are based on all sorts of race courses, and they generally measure a boat's ability to sail on beats, reaches and runs.

It's possible to skew the racing results by setting up race courses that favor one boat over another. I once saw a local race committee set up race courses with extraordinarily long spinnaker runs to favor their own club members, who raced with spinnakers, over visiting JAM boats. The spinnaker boats were able to pull so far ahead of the JAM boats on the long runs that the JAM boats had almost no chance of catching up on the beats or reaches. Sometimes, racing in a certain venue dictates the way a race course can be set up. When you race on a narrow river, for example, the course has to go wherever the river goes, and it has to stay where the water is deep enough, and the wind direction will be whatever it happens to be on that day. In other words, the nature of the venue takes a lot of choices away from the race committee.

IMHO, windward/leeward race courses, and triangular race courses that are approximately equilateral are generally fair to all types of boats, but it gets boring if those are the only types of courses you ever sail. If a race committee uses a variety of race courses that aren't skewed to favor certain boats, the racing should be fair. PHRF ratings measure the respective ability of Compac 23s and all other boats to beat, reach and run, so a Compac 23 would not be prejudiced by a race course that is based on beats, reaches and runs, or just beats and runs.

The people who select your race courses should assure the Compac owner that they'll be fair, but they will not start skewing the race courses to please one owner or another. They should make it clear that that's the end of the conversation. If they try to mollify him, the rest of the racers will feel they're getting shafted.

Edited by - Steve Milby on 06/28/2006 06:50:08

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 06/28/2006 : 08:20:07

Mollify is a pretty expensive word there Steve

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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5909 Posts

Response Posted - 06/28/2006 : 09:09:15

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Mollify is a pretty expensive word there Steve<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

mollify: to lessen the anger of; to soften the effect of;

Oh, now I get it, Duane!

Edited by - Steve Milby on 06/28/2006 09:14:22

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.