Sail to your PHRF #

[HERSH]

Just a little exercise I did with some recent results of a club race.

"Sail to your PHRF #"

According to PHRF;

J-92 PHRF = 111 Pearson 26 PHRF 222

J-92 in light air 3600/(111+600) = 5.06kts PHRF's predicted average speed for light air
P-26 in light air 3600/(222+600) = 4.37kts PHRF's predicted average speed for light air
kt = knots; ktm = nautical miles

J-92 covered 4.5ktm in 2 hrs & 7 minutes or 2.17 hrs
4.5/2.17 = averaging 2.125 kts

P-26 covered 4.5 ktm in 2 hrs & 21 minutes
4.5/2.35hrs averaging 1.914 kts

J-92 5.06 - 2.12 = 3.04 ( predicted speed - actual speed)
P-26 4.37 - 1.91 = 2.46 ( predicted speed - actual speed)

The Pearson 26 sailed closer to what PHRF predicted he should sail in light air then the J-92.

Therefor the P-26 wins !!!!!

Roy

Note:
For medium air replace 600 with 550
For heavy air replace 600 with 480
neither boat sailed even close to what PHRF predicts.

This posting should probably be under Racing ....

 

[shnool]

That's the rub isn't it? You must sail to your number!

Guess what, you are FAR more likely to have a difficult time if most of the people racing your style boat, are "pros." So you can more likely race to your rating if you are a great racer, on a fairly UNCOMMONLY raced boat. PHRF is crowd sourced. So those that make up the numbers are the ones racing your style boat. J boats have the most consistent ratings because they are frequently raced, and raced well.

So take an America's cup sailor, and place him on say a Catalina 310, and they'll be rock stars (and bored to tears)... win everything from behind using PHRF.

Is why hard core racers hate PHRF, they can have their heads handed to them by Cat 27 owners

 

[drewlamparello]

Personally I wouldn't mind the PHRF rating... beat an number of slick racers just that way on a 45 mile race where I showed up at the finsh line about 2 hours after the leader with my Catalina 30 many years ago...
Few years back, about the time I acquired the CP22, my club converted to Portsmouth. The club didn't want to have to worry about figuring out the distance the course had been set to any longer. Unfortunately, US sailing has but one rating for a capri 22 that covers all four configurations that our boats come in... Needless to say I have to give time to everyone except the Soling

Certainly making me work hard. Still lots of fun.

 

[shnool]

Unfortunately, US sailing has but one rating for a capri 22 that covers all four configurations that our boats come in...

Note entirely accurate... They split up the tall rig with the regular rig. The keel configurations aren't broken up (nor are the mods, but then they are supposed to be close).
Capri 22 (Cat., FK/SK/WK) CAP22 90.8 92.6 91.5 90.1 (89.0)
Capri 22 (Cat., Tall Rig) CAP22H 88.9 89.5 89.1 88.3 88.1

we use Portsmouth too, and its a great handicapping system if used correctly. It also breaks down considerably if you have 0 wind during a race (harshly penalizes fast boats for not moving in no wind).

My experience a half point in PN can be a pretty dramatic difference in boat performance. Whole point differences should put the boats finishing minutes apart.

 

[HERSH]

Yes;

Portsmouth or PHRF Time on Time peanalizes the faster boats when the wind dies.

On the other hand PHRF Time on Distance penalizes the slower boats when you are sailing where there is current, as the distance sailed over the water is longer then the distance between the buoys.

Hershey