Well Robert,

All rating rules have flaws.

If you are (in the case) eluding to the fact that, if this race is one
class, the rating spread is way too wide. You would have a scratch to
itch of 15 (give or take) minutes - in short - the 34r would have to
finish over a mile ahead of the Spirit. - I didn't bother to look up
all the ratings.

This is the short answer (believe it!)

The serious flaw in PHRF is the fact that a boats rating might get
adjusted to advantage by a history of not attracting effective crews and
so have an unfair advantage once the rating is too old to be easily
contested.

Another flaw in PHRF is that the history (at least in the areas I have
sailed) is based on "around the bouys" races and it has a know problem
when used on a "windward-leeward" race as the history includes some
broard reaching which is often the strong point of the older
racer/cruiser boats.

There are really only 2 types of rating rules:
Measured characterisic rules (this actually includes one-design)
Performance history rules (the PHRF and Portsmouth family)
(Well, then there is Americap - now Americap II that is secret and still
under development)

If your problem is something else, it must be way down the list.

Matt Colie (WSSC PC'03)


Capt. Rob wrote:
Since I've actually been in PHRF races and most of you only read about
them, here's a little test for you. The Wednesday night race consists
of the following boats:

Spirit 23 219
Coronado 27 228
Siedlemann 30
Catalina 30
J24
Nordic 30
Express 30
Kirie Elite 32
Beneteau 35s5
Beneteau 36.7 81
Farr 38 90
C&C 34R 78
C&C 115

Quite a range of boats and ratings....NOW...what is the biggest
inherent flaw in this race...and most races with a range of boats like
this? Spare me the answers with NO answers. If you can't understand the
basic flaw don't pretend that you can.
Well?


Robert B
35s5...a boat that would have a tougher time winning PHRF
NY