Our club is talking about making adjustments to PHRF handicaps to include a credit for boats that use dacron sails exclusively. The other thought is giving a penalty to boats that use high tech materials such a carbon. Do any of your clubs make such an adjustment? If so, how many seconds per mile?
PHRF adjustments
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PHRF of the Chesapeake gives an adjustment for roller furling headsails. They only apply it if the sail is woven (generally meaning Dacron) or if it has a taffeta and UV cloth on the luff and foot. Outside of the roller furling credit there’s no other distinction for laminate or other high tech sails vs Dacron.
PHRF of Eastern Long Island used to do the credit for dacron. Also for rolling furling. I'm not sure they do anymore. The furler credit doesn't make much sense in today's world. Furling used to imply a cruising boat. That went out with the j-80 if not sooner. I don't know about the dacron. There's some many materials and hybrids it seems like an enforcement problem. There's a good thread debate lurking there. Don't want to hijack this one.
Here is a link to their PHRF application. The furling is on there to my surprise. Nothing about sail material that I saw.
Here is a link to their PHRF application. The furling is on there to my surprise. Nothing about sail material that I saw.
Our club at one point made adjustments based on earlier results. I ended up getting about 30 seconds added to my rating for club races. It made winning more difficult, but didn't stop us. After a season or two it was dropped. Applying it to each boat in the fleet was too complicated, and, essentially, unfair, since it rated the skipper's results rather than the boat's capabilities. Penalizing good skippers is not good for turnout or for improving skills. If your club wants to "adjust" ratings for Dacron sails, it can indicate this in the sailing instructions. How much are Dacron sails worth? +6? Are they REALLY baggy? +9 ? Are they so old/bad that the sailmaker is out of business? + 12? If you think it will make racing fairer and boost participation, it could be a good idea. But it is a slippery slope.
p.s.: PHRF ratings are supposed to be based on boats that are "race-ready": good sails, clean bottom, proper equipment, crews and skippers who know what they're doing. Are boats in your fleet "race-ready"? Are their bottoms clean? Perhaps ratings should be adjusted based on the last time the bottom was washed, along with the Dacron sails. Our sails are Pentex. (Dupont no longer makes Dacron.) Does that count? Slippery...
p.s.: PHRF ratings are supposed to be based on boats that are "race-ready": good sails, clean bottom, proper equipment, crews and skippers who know what they're doing. Are boats in your fleet "race-ready"? Are their bottoms clean? Perhaps ratings should be adjusted based on the last time the bottom was washed, along with the Dacron sails. Our sails are Pentex. (Dupont no longer makes Dacron.) Does that count? Slippery...
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PHRF New England - Handicapping - Handicap Adjustments
PHRF New England is an independent handicapping authority whose handicaps are used by fleets sailing on Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts Bay, the Gulf of Maine, and Lake Winnipesauke.
www.phrfne.org
These sails are “Dacron” but hardly “low tech” 
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3Di NORDAC | North Sails
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Hi,
My club does not adjust ratings for sail material. How would that work anyway? Brand new Dacron sails would probably work better than 5 year old laminate sails.
The point of handicap racing is to level the field for different types of boats. Not to adjust for how the different boats are equipped. To be competitive, you need to have good quality gear and a well prepared boat. If you are not going to have good sails then you are not going to be competitive in 'serious' racing.
Barry
My club does not adjust ratings for sail material. How would that work anyway? Brand new Dacron sails would probably work better than 5 year old laminate sails.
The point of handicap racing is to level the field for different types of boats. Not to adjust for how the different boats are equipped. To be competitive, you need to have good quality gear and a well prepared boat. If you are not going to have good sails then you are not going to be competitive in 'serious' racing.
Barry
Our area gives credits (not adjustments) for cruising type sails. Single headsail, roller furling, woven material with fabric leech cover and 2% foot roach +6 seconds/mile. Limited sail inventory, roller furling 2 headsails any material with 2% foot roach. Second sail not to exceed 105%. +3 seconds/mile. The thinking is that most boats racing have sail inventories commensurate with the class they are racing in. The credit is a way for cruisers to use their existing inventory but does not really reflect the actual performance difference in all conditions or courses. It would be impossible to rate actual sail performances. An example, I bought a new main last year. Size 13.75 x 38.5. I got prices anywhere from $5,500 to $2,000. I will bet you the 3Di raw main is at least 3-6 sec/mi faster than the crosscut Contender Aramid Max sail that I bought for less than half the price of the 3DI. My racing is not at the Grand Prix level so I can live with the lower performing sail.
