Handicapping

Time adjustments for Category 3, 4 and 5 races will be based on a Time Correction Factor (TCF) performance not on finish place.
All boats will be handicapped on their elapsed time as follows:
1. Base Handicap

  1. The Progressive Personal Handicap (PPH) will be used from the last series when available. New boats will be allocated an arbitrary TCF to be reviewed after 3 races.
  2. The corrected time of each yacht in the race will be calculated by multiplying the elapsed time (finish time less official start time) by its (PPHstart) handicap.
  3. The place for each race will be on corrected time.
  4. The points will be on a modified low point system where 1st = 1, 2nd = 2, 3rd = 3 and so on.

2. Declarations

The skipper shall declare to the Handicapper at least 48 hours before the race starts any alterations to the sails, or the number of sails carried by the yacht, or to the yacht and any of its equipment including professional crew which could alter its performance.

Penalties may apply, at the discretion of the Handicapper, to any yacht that uses professional crew to break the spirit of the Personal Handicap System. To avoid this, skippers may notify the race committee, of the temporary participation of sail makers or another professional crew.

3. Alterations to Handicaps

All handicaps will be reviewed before the commencement of the season’s point score.
The Handicapper may alter a yacht’s handicap at his discretion:

  1. If it is considered necessary after declaration above.
  2. If the present handicap appears incorrect.
  3. If the yacht’s owner submits a written request for a review for specific reasons.
  4. If a yacht fails to start, or retires, or is disqualified.
  5. If there has been an anomaly in setting the handicap.

4. Adjustments to the Personal Progressive Handicaps (PPH)

A Yacht’s Progressive Personal Handicap (PPH) will be calculated after each race to the following system:

  1. The corrected time of each yacht in the race will be calculated by multiplying the elapsed time by its handicap.
  2. The corrected times are sorted from the lowest to highest for the race result.
  3. The median corrected time is established using the ECHO method. This method ensures that the average adjustment is zero and so avoids any inflation/deflation over time. i.e., The addition of all the old handicaps equals the addition of the new handicaps.
  4. After each race, a personal Time Correction Factor (TCF) is calculated by dividing the median corrected time by the elapsed time of each competing yacht.
  5. The last PPH handicap is averaged with the calculated TCF for the next Progressive Personal handicap.
  6. For Series of more than 5 races; 65% of the last handicap plus 35% of the calculated TCF is the next handicap.
  7. For series of 5 or less races; 50% of the last handicap plus 50% of the last TCF is the next handicap.
  8. The next handicap will be limited to a 5% change from the last handicap.
  9. Boats that did not Race, did not finish or were disqualified (DSQ); will not have their PPH handicap adjusted.

5. Start Time Calculation for Pursuit Starts

The new (PPHnew) handicap is converted to a pursuit start time where the slowest boat starts at the scheduled start time and a race time is predicted for the slowest boat.

6. Ties Broken in the following Order

  1. A8.1 Most Best Scores Excluding Discards.
  2. A8.2 Best Score in Latest Race Including Discards.
  3. Ties Remain.

7. Calculation of average points

When redress is granted for average points, they will be the average of all previous races including discards in the relevant series.
If granted in race 1 the average points for that race will be used.