racing handicaps

[Roger]

Although I have sailed for over 25 years, I have never raced and until now never really had any desire to. One of the local yacht clubs does have some races however, and because there are a variety of boats, I assume that they use some form of handicap system. They appear to be fairly low key so I don't think I would be too intimidated if I joined in. I am therefore interested in determining my DS II's hcp so that I may join in should I so desire.

I saw on another forum that a DS I has a Portsmouth rating of 99.2 . Is that rating transferable to a DS II? How is it derived? Lastley, I also am aware of something called a PHRF rating. How is that derived, and how do I determine it for my boat?

Roger

[rnlivingston]

Hi Roger

We use the Portsmouth handcap rating at our club, The Webster Sailing Association in Massachusetts. The rating changes as the windspeed increases. It is also different if you use a spinaker or not. There is also a correction for when you sail with a crew and without.

We use the same rating for the DS1 and DSII...98.8 (0-4mph). The fleets you race with will determine your handicap and make any necessary adjustments.

Club racing is fun, a great way to improve your sailing and a way to see how well your boat performs against other boats.

Another Roger
DS11538

[Peter McMinn]

Rogers:
Keep in mind, too, most clubs will stipulate a minimum number of boats on the line for a class to have its own start. In our case, here in Portland, Or, we have only two DS'rs willing to race, one under the minimum. Consequently, we don't really "count" in races, even though we do start with other classes. The reason for this is that no one on the RC wants to bother with Portsmouth adjustments for just one or two boats. It seems to me, skippers with boats in minority classes need to seek a working relationship with RC officials if they want to be scored fairly.

BTW, still looking for another racing DS in Portland!!!!



Roger 1: I can't emphasize enough the value of competition to honing sailing skills. I grew up racing, and even when I'm just cruising I'm always focused on things that will improve boatspeed, e.g., watching for headers/lifts, sail shape, weight distribution, etc.... Nothing is more condusive to developing these skill further than racing!

[Roger]

Thanks for the reply guys. The club I was talking about has about 28 boats, most keel some cb (3). They seem to have two classes; spinnaker and non. Other than the lasers that they use for the juniors lessons, I don't think that there are two boats the same in the whole fleet. With your advice, I will approach them and find out more about how they would rate my hcp in a race. From their website they seem pretty relaxed about the whole affair. Thanks again.