PHRF HANDICAP RATINGS
What is a rating?
In sailboat racing your handicap rating is an indication of your boat's performance. It is only an "indication" since identical boats, raced with crews of different capabilities, will not perform equally. PHRF Handicaps (which are used by SYC) assume that you have a competent crew and certain minimum equipment. The handicap consists of a base rating, established by the Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound (YRA-LIS), for a standard boat. and standard YRA adjustments for equipment variations such as larger or smaller sails, fin keel or shoal draft, and fixed or folding/feathering props. A handicap allows different boats to race against each other, where each, theoretically, has an equal chance to win.
The Base Rating assumes:
1. An unmodified factory/class boat,
2. 150% genoa (or the standard headsail allowed by one-design Class rules)
3. A 180% spinnaker girth (or no spinnaker for Cruising Classes)
4. A whisker pole length of 80% of the headsail LP for non-spinnaker classes, or
5. A spinnaker pole length equal to “J” for spinnaker classes
6. Folding/feathering prop or outboard lifted while sailing
7. A masthead/fractional rig, or a one-design configuration
Other configurations call for adjustments to the base rating. For example, larger headsails rate faster and fixed props rate slower.
A Base Rating is assigned by YRA-LIS to a “standard” boat or by the Club Measurer if YRA has not yet assigned a rating.
There are NO adjustments for crew performance
·
To race outside the
club, the rating must be on a certificate officially issued by YRA-LIS. Contact
the Fleet Captain or Rear Commodore for information on getting a YRA-LIS rating.
·
If you intend to race
only in SYC races (including the Harbor Cup), the Club Measurer will issue a provisional
rating.
Approaches to racing ratings
The easiest method of handicapping sailboats is to build identical boats. When this is done, the boat speed is equal (if the crews are equally talented) and the first boat to finish is the winner. This is called “one-design” racing. The Blue Jays used in our junior sailing program are “one-design” boats, as are some larger boats such as the J22 and the J105OD. In one-design racing, class associations certify that the boats are identical.
Since every sailboat is a compromise design, cruising boats have evolved into a number of different configurations to satisfy vastly different cruising, daysailing, and racing needs. In order for these different boats to compete against each other, handicap rules were established. These rules are changed by the Yacht Racing Associations as boat designers develop "rule beaters" (a fast boat with a slow rating).
Some handicap rules are based only on boat dimensions and measurements. Some of you may recognize the alphabet soup of these rules such as Americap, IOR, IMS, etc. These rules become very complex when the rule mavens try to factor wind direction and conditions into the measurement formula. While these rules may work for some time, designers eventually come up with rule-beaters that make the mavens push, squeeze, add, and subtract in order to cover the new design. Some of these rules have fallen by the wayside while others, such as the IMS, are still used for offshore racing and high priced fleets.
Another approach is to use a “development” rule. The
These rules are too complex for Club racing and the measurements needed to determine the handicap require expensive measuring equipment and a haulout. Something simpler, and easily adjustable, was needed for "friendly" Club racing.
Club Racing
On the Club racing level, a simpler rule that could be easily adjusted as racing results were accumulated was formulated on the West Coast as the Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF). The rule gave each boat in the fleet a time allowance (in seconds per mile) that was applied to the finish times to calculate a race winner. This rule used past BOAT performance as the base, with local handicap associations adjusting the ratings in response to local racing results and prevailing wind conditions. The assumption was that a basic boat was equipped for racing with a 150% genoa, a 180% spinnaker, a folding or feathering prop, and a well trained crew. While adjustments could be made for larger or smaller sails, crew capability was not a factor in the adjustments.
Thus was born PHRF!
The advantage of this rule was that it was administered by local organizations that could adjust the base boat ratings and sail allowances to accommodate local conditions. The local organization could also be petitioned for a rating review by any skipper who thought his boat was rated too slow (this has NEVER happened!) or too fast.
If you intend to race, you need a rating and I need information.
I always attempt to rate every boat in the Club. Unfortunately, this is impossible because I am missing information about many boats (i.e. headsail size, prop type, keel configuration----basic information from your brochure/spec sheet and/or your sailmaker). I can also measure your headsail. If you are not going to race, you don’t care.
If you are----
Are you a new member or a new racer? Have you bought a new boat? How about a bigger or smaller sail? Have you gone from a fixed prop to a folding or feathering prop? Have you modified your boat, changing the hull, rudder, keel, etc.? Have you removed any cruising equipment--berths, head, etc.?
Call me at 473-2160
(or send e-mail to
Have information for me,
Need to have a sail measured, or
Want to race and are confused by this entire message!
I am at the Club most Thursday evenings from about 6:30 to 7:30, and available then for explanations and sail measurements.
Mort Fortgang
Club Measurer