Sailing Association of Intermountain Lakes

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Well before the event:

1. Obtain the handicaps.

   The complete Portsmouth Yardstick tables are available from US SAILING.
   • Download Portsmouth handicaps, from US SAILING or SailWave.
   • Get PHRF handicaps from SAIL PHRF Chair, Bob Malouff. For boats without current PHRF certificates, the RC will assign the handicaps.

2. Decide to use wind-dependent handicaps for Portsmouth.

   They provide fairer results, than the DP-N numbers. Reliable wind instruments can be obtained for little money. If no wind measuring device is available, the judgments of experienced sailors categorizing the conditions as Drifter, Light, Moderate, or Heavy will produce more equitable results than using non-wind-dependent handicaps.

   In the Notice of Race &
   Sailing Instructions:

3. Notice of Race:

   Declare the scoring & handicapping systems to be used. For a weekend or shorter event, the low point system of Appendix A is most common. For a season-long series, a high-point system could be better. Keelboats can use either PHRF or Portsmouth; dinghies and multi-hulls use Portsmouth.

4. Sailing Instructions:

   Invoke or describe the scoring system and handicap system(s). If it's desired to give fewer points than entrants plus 1 for those who don't start or don't finish a race, modify Appendix A, paragraph 4.2.
   
   If using PHRF, decide between time-on-distance (TOD) or time-on-time (TOT) and declare that RC-assigned handicaps are not subject to redress, appeal or protest, except by SAIL PHRF members.
   
   Invoke or describe the throw-out scheme, and possibly the use of throw-outs in the tie-breaking scheme. Unmodified, Appendix A declares 1 throw-out regardless of number of races completed (even if only one) and does not use throw-outs in tie-breakers at all.

   Before the event:

5. Be sure you're ready

   Computerized scoring

   "Set up" files for the event. Practice, get the current tables & formulas, test-score with dummy results.

   If using paper & pencil,

   Make enough copies of the scoring & handicapping forms to handle all expected races & fleets. Making two copies of each, using good, old-fashioned carbon paper is a very good idea. Include a space on the registration form for the full boat class with variations and the skipper’s initials agreeing to that classification.
   • Or, check out & practice with your computer scoring program -- on the same equipment you'll be using to score the races.

   At Registration:

6. Verify handicaps

   In consultation with its skipper, determine the appropriate handicaps for each boat at registration. Many classes have variations that are handicapped differently. Write the complete description of the boat, as printed in the handicap chart or certificate, on the registration form and have the skipper sign it.

   Assigning handicaps should be done with the involvement & blessing of the PRO. It is not solely the arena of the scorer.

   After registration & before
   competitor’s meeting:

7. Confirm handicaps with PRO

   The principal race officer is responsible for the regatta's racing. The scorer is a member of his/her race committee.

8. Group boats into fleets

   using their handicaps and their weights. A handicap fleet should not have more boats than a one-design fleet. The closer the handicaps, the better the racing. In fluky air (e.g., Colorado) lighter boats generally outperform heavier boats on handicap.

9. Set the starting order

   according to the handicaps of the fleet. Don’t relegate the handicap folks to the last start and require the faster handicap boats to sail through slower fleets started earlier.

   On the water:

10. Use courses that include beats, runs, and reaches about equally and try to achieve elapsed times on the order of 1 hour.
    • Courses with reaching legs have fallen out of favor for most boats at most events. Windward/leeward courses are now considered more tactical and strategic.
    • Courses much shorter or much longer than an hour distort  the racing to favor either higher or lower handicaps.

11. Record initial race data

    Sail numbers of competitors at check-in, starting times, periodic wind speeds (See the Beaufort Scale.) and courses on the RC Sheet .

12. Record finish times

    On the RC Sheet. Use clock times (time-of-day). Use a water-proof writing device (soft pencil) if you’re in an open boat. The recorder should sign the RC Sheet.
    
    • When recording sail numbers & finish times, write them as the boats finish. Do NOT write them in any order other than as the boats finish. Do NOT -- at this stage -- try to organize into fleets. Use the format below. (See here for a downloadable example.)

      Sail #	Time	Class	Comment
      5372	1342:46	U-20
      68	--43:05	U-20	Protest flag

      Getting "fancy" with the recording is certain to introduce errors. Very often, boats are finishing more frequently than can be recorded. When pushed, record only sail number & time; leave other info for slack periods.
      
    • If you have any handicap fleets, you should record sail numbers & times for all boats. It is too difficult to use different procedures for different fleets. If you have only one-design fleets, record the finish time for the first boat in each fleet.
      
    • Sail numbers & times go together. Record them together.
      

    When convenient, the recorder should copy the class, sail number, starting time, and finish time onto the Handicapping Sheet, separating racing groups. The scorer can then compute elapsed times, corrected ties and finish positions. These are simple calculations and can be accomplished with a hand calculator in about 30 seconds per boat. Both the recorder and the scorer should sign the Handicapping Sheet.
     

    • Computer scoring:

      Enter the sail numbers & times directly from the finish sheet into your scoring program. This avoids the use of intermediate forms, which can introduce errors.

After each day’s racing

13. Complete the scoring

    Complete the RC sheets as soon as possible after each race (and, if paper-and-pencil scoring, Handicap Sheets and the current Cumulative Score sheets).
    Unlike fleet racers, handicap racers may not know who won individual races until they see the numbers. Quick posting also enables the correction of inadvertent errors before they become Requests for Redress.

    • The clock doesn't start running on such a request for redress until the scores are posted. It's embarrassing to hand out trophies, then ask for them back.

    At the end of the event

14. Send results to SAIL.

    E-mail the results files, .blw or HTML. If scoring on paper mail copies of RC, Handicap & Scoring Sheets.) We need these to publish results in the newsletter, to score tour points, and to submit to US SAILING for inclusion in handicapping statistics. More often than not, someone from SAIL will be at your event and would be happy to hand-carry the copies.

15. Keep a file

    Do not destroy the records or computer files until the season is over. They may be needed in a protest, request for redress or appeal.

The Beaufort Scale of Wind Velocity

As altitude increases and air “thins out”, the force exerted by wind diminishes with respect to its velocity. At the altitudes encountered within the SAIL region, it is probably more equitable to judge wind conditions from their effect on the water according to the following table than to measure velocity with an instrument.

The Race Committee should observe sea conditions at the start, during, and at the finish of the race and determine the average Beaufort Number for that race. Take care to observe that the wind strength you observe is the same as that of the race course.  Click here for the Beaufort Scale.