PHRF

Jul 18, 2019
4
S2 Yachts S2 9.2A San Francisco
Have raced off and on in club races, and always seem to finish way behind the pack. It was suggested that PHRF for S2 9.2A (182) was significantly low for this boat. Many other similar boats (e.g. Newport 30) have ratings up in the 200s. Any other owners have input on PHRF rating for our boat? Jon Price
 
Jul 25, 2018
43
O'day 19 MK-II Weekender Narragansett Bay
The Narragansett Bay PHRF fleet gives a base rate of 189 to the S2 9.2A; and a Spin rating of 196 to 211, and non Spin rating of 207 to 232 depending on the parameters of particular boats.


Back in the day I crewed on a J29 FR which had a PHRF rating of 117. We smoked a lot of boats in the fleet, but corrected time was not kind to us on occasion. My experience has been that the caliber of the crew has huge import on the performance of a boat.
 
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Jun 29, 2010
1,287
Beneteau First 235 Lake Minnetonka, MN
My experience has been that the caliber of the crew has huge import on the performance of a boat.
^ - THIS

Just because you have a "hot rod" boat does not mean you are going to kick butt on the course. If a regular driver got in Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes F1 car, you think they would just up and win everything like Lewis does?
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,990
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Jon. Boats of same make and model can and do sail differently when raced against each other.
FACTORS:
  1. Skipper and crew
  2. Tactics and rules knowledge
  3. Gear. Sails. Boat condition
  4. How the boat is prepared. Do you have more fuel, water, lines, chain, anchors- anything that adds weight to your boat more then you need for the rules or the day use.
Are you sailing in the correct class if the club groups the race. i.e. all comers-vs-cruisers like our club does. Knew a boat owner who removed all the doors in his boat to reduce the weight on race weekend. Replace only the head with a curtain. No one was going to sleep during the races.
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
For example I raced on a Tartan 33 and there was another one in the PHRF fleet. The other one ditched his 150 and put a better shaped 135 on - and received a rating credit. The other boat also had one group 27 battery while our boat had something like 800 amp hours of batteries. My owner wanted refrig. for cruising and the other hardly ever slept on the boat. My guy was also a "Pinchersaursus." So the same design and built but with different sail area, weight and skill sailed differently and had a different rating. All in all the lighter boat with the smaller jib and driver did better. But not always.
 
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Nov 26, 2012
1,653
Hunter 34 Berkeley
PHRF ratings tend to be specific to regions to some degree. My boat, for example, was designed for light air sailing in places like southern California. I sail SF Bay which is just the opposite so my rating is not the same. The boat struggles a bit in heavy air and chop. You should be able to chase it down with a little research. I am sure the local YRA could rate your boat for where you sail.
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
Jon, you can base ratings for most boats here:
PHRF New England - Handicapping - Base Handicaps
These do not include penalties and credits. And as Markwbird posted ratings vary from region to region because it's Performance Handicap Rating System.
If you appeal your rating, which you can do, you can usually get an adjustment of a few seconds but it won't be 20 seconds. You'll have to collect data from race results and hopefully figure out what the delta would be to finish even. You won't get that but you may get some of it. If a Newport 30 with a rating of 220 is beating you boat for boat - don't expect an adjustment unless one of you is way out of wack. 220's are where boats in low 20' range usually fall i.e. Ranger 23, C&C 24 etc. A Tartan 33 would be in the low 180's.