Racing Programs

[higgs]

As I stated before, I am now the Fleet Captain at my club. I am really not a serious racer, but desire to do a good job running the racing program. Like most clubs, our racing program is not what it was say 10 years ago. I, like most Fleet Captains, want to get more people out racing.

One of the big problems with our fleet is the white sails. It is not at all competitive with one Pearson 30 winning every single race. The skipper of the boat always has good sails and they are not white. He does spend a lot of time on his bottom and is a good sailor, but the fact remains he kills everybody every race. In my 5 years at the club I cannot remember a race he did not win. In addition we have a Benateau R10 that races white sail with high tech sails and all the money needed. Of course the grumbling is that the Pearson 30's rating is too generous, but that skipper feels it is his prep work and good sailing that makes him win. Incidentally, it does not matter who he has helm of that boat, it still wins.

Those of you who race: What do you think of this situation? Most of our white sailors don't want to spend hours on their bottoms or spend the money for mylar or kevlar sails. Should we say too bad to them? How do we ever get new boaters out racing if the old timers at our club get their butt kicked every week? How can new sailors expect to compete and why bother?

 

[rpwillia]

What do you use for PHRF's

Most of the time we use the Chesapeake Bay PHRF numbers unless there is no boat of that class, then I go by the New England, San Francisco or whatever else I can find (or average out). I agree with you, in that we have one Pearson 31 who has the same rating as I do and he passes me with duct taped sails flogging. Year before he owed me 16 seconds a mile, so I have no idea what the PHRF guys were thinking. Hopefully/eventually the race finish times adjust.

Kevlar sails, folding props, furling jibs and mains, ..., all factor in. Sometimes it is all about the sailor, but the PHRFs get you to that point. The other thing I have found is that as things get more competitive more people want in on the fun.

http://www.chesapeakesailing.net/cgi-bin/phrf/phrf_form.cfm
http://www.phrfsandiego.org/roster/gridRoster.php
http://www.sailors.com/sfbay/racing/phrf-sf.html
http://www.phrfne.org/page/handicapping/base_handicaps

 

[tommays]

Down here there are a lot more people willing to spend the big bucks BUT we have

Small boats >180
Crusing canvas division(Dacron) <180
Spinaker division 1 / 2 /3 based on Phrf
J24 division

I never did the J24 division due to the deep pockets of a few of the boats that dry sail and qualified and sailed the J24 worlds ,I have taken the J24 out on a few distance races (36 Miles) and done well taking home some silver against other boats in it's rating range of 174

We also have two J80s that compete at and do well at the worlds level so it's a tough group as there in are Spinaker division and we at 117 (35ft)owe them time But sometimes they win soemtimes we win

And for good measure TWO J44s that have travel budgets and do Newport/ Bermuda ocean stuff

 

[Ted]

Take a look at the delta finish times of the people who are complaining about the rating of the Pearson 30. Are they a few seconds a mile slower or is it more like a few minutes a mile. A reasonably well prepared boat can still be competitive if it is sailed smart. Staying in phase with lifts and headers will do more good than a burnished bottom. Boat preparation will only get you so far. If people in your racing fleet are finishing 30 or more seconds per mile behind the leader, it's probably not due to having dacron sails.

As an incentive to get more sailors on the start line, our club will give any boat an additional 6 seconds a mile added to their PHRF rating. If they place (1st, 2nd or 3rd) during any race for the current season, the rating is dropped back to what it should be. If they don't place for two consecutive years, the 6 seconds are added back on again. There are a couple of boats in our club that benefitted from this system. It's been nice to see that participation has increased and there are some very enthusiastic new racers with happy crews on the line.

I would also suggest that you speak with the skipper of the winning Pearson 30. He may be willing to have his rating lowered. This happened in our club when the skippers of some of the top finishers suggested that their own ratings be lowered. They still won their fair share of races but the finish times were much closer. It kept the interest in the game very high for everyone else. Well almost everyone. It's not realistic to keep everyone happy while racing PHRF.

 

[s sauer]

We've experienced the same problems and complaints with club level PHRF racing.
Perhaps having a cruising division with allowances for fixed props and roller furling headsails is a start. The more serious racers may lean toward the spinnaker fleet while you can have jib & Main races within a cruising fleet. Personally I feel it isn't fair to penalize the better prepared boat, the more practiced crew, or the more savy tactician; but generally those are attributes of the more serious and more seasoned racer. Perhaps those individuals can be enlisted to mentor beginners; help them run practice starts, and generally spread the knowledge and get new folks into the racing mode.

 

[Tim C350 April IV]

Take a look at the attached "Golf Handicap Racing Fleet" discussed in this link.

http://www.styc.org/race_info/TYTFridays/Instructions.htm

It was used last year for a really fun series of Friday Night races and really gave everyone an opportunity to compete on a more even playing field after a couple of races. Another interesting aspect of this series was the self-reporting of the race times. Racing started at 7pm per GPS time on a fixed (un-attended) start line, and you submitted your finish time via the internet. Finish order was posted online the next monday, along with your new handicap (lower if you did good, higher if you didn't) for the next week's racing.

We had a lot of fun!

Good Luck!
Tim Brogan
April IV C350 #68
Seattle

 

[Don12364]

Try Pursuit Races!

Several years ago my club began a series of Thursday evening 'Pursuit Races' which quickly became hugely popular and is even more so today.
We get all types from dyed in the wool racers to mum, dad and the kids. We are in the Solent where there is already plenty of "professional" standard racing - none of which is any fun.

It goes like this:-

• The unashamed purpose of the race is to work up a decent thirst.
• Each yacht is given a starting minute.
• Slower or smaller boats have lower numbers - your number is all you need to remember.
• This number remains for the series (unless altered!)
• Beginning at a stated time, the committee boat hoots and holds up a number board indicating the minute on the race officer's watch.
• e.g. First off at 18:30 committee boat shows 30.
• One minute later it hoots again and shows 31 etc and so on.
• When your number goes up you are good to go. This avoids starting line hassle, barging and all the other unpleasantries.
• Boats race on a course announced in any normal way but the race duration is intended to be one hour (could be any other time by agreement).
• Boats start in sequence and the lead boat at the finish is the winner. If they don't get round then the finishing order is as stated by competitors - there is very little disputed finishing.
• In a perfect world all would finish together so finishes are quite exciting - which is not the case with 'conventional races where the finish can be a let down. That is if anyone can figure out who won before another hour has passed!
  
• Nobody takes times other than the lapsing of the hour.
• Handicaps - i.e. start times - are allocated by the Race Committee and can alter depending on each competitor's generosity in the club bar!
• No known handicap system is used but those in the know can trace it roughly to that in common use.
• It was free but we now make a small charge to enter the series and total entry fees go to the local lifeboat service.
• The last race is for the Lifeboat Pennant and they come over, park the lifeboat on our jetty, present the prize and socialize in a way only lifeboatmen know how.
• It all goes down a storm.

BTW - Over the winter we also run a six race open series for top class competitors with over 250 boat entries and almost 1500 people taking part.

Guess which type of racing people like best.

 

[Joe]

Laminated main and genoa were extra penalties in our limited race series... for the same reason... to get more folks out racing and having fun on a limited budget. If someone keeps winning his handicap goes down.... that's how handicaps are figured, on performance.

That pearson guy should go find somebody else to race against so he has a challenge. You guys need to address that issue. It's cool that he's good, but no fun for the rest of the fleet. So the rules need to be altered to help the other boats... ya know, like parity in the NFL or NBA...