I've screwed up now
 

I have just volunteered to be on the local club race committee and I
know nothing at all about sailboat racing. BTW, what is a "Perf"?

PHRF (Performance Handicap Racing Fleet) is handicap system for sailboat
racing. It is design to equalize the performance rating between different
sailboat designs. It normally is only used for local "Beer Can" sailboat
races. Most serious competitive racers prefer "One Design" races so it
equalizes the sailboat and highlights the performance of the captain and
crew.

Since no handicap system is close to perfect, you will have every sailboat
owner complaining his PHRF number is not correct. Normally once a year the
race committee will hear arguments for PHRF adjustments, for the rest of the
year, half the fleet will complain that their rating is not fair.

Good Luck

wrote in message
ups.com...
I have just volunteered to be on the local club race committee and I
know nothing at all about sailboat racing. BTW, what is a "Perf"?

Can I adjust this PHRF number based on how many bottles of booze a
skipper buys me? I know this wont work cuz I have about as much
patience for sailboat racing as I do for fishing........none. I sorta
got dragooned into it cuz nobody else would do it and I said yes in a
moment of weakness.

Normally their is a PHRF committee, that looks at the PHRF numbers used by
other fleets across the country, they try to find areas that have similar
sailing characteristics (i.e. wind speed, waves, wakes etc.) US Sailing
organizes PHRF in the US, you should be able to contact them for everything
you ever wanted to know about PHRF but were afraid to ask.

US Sailing can also provide with a information that will be helpful to the
Race Committee. A normal procedure for race committee is for one boat in
the fleet to work on "race committee" for each race. It makes sure you
always have enough people to help you set the start line, make sure the
start if correct, and watch and time the finishes. Since the advent of
laptops, there are spreadsheets that provide a quick answer as to who has
won the race. Since PHRF is a handicap system, you might be the first to
cross the finish line, and end up in last place.

Since you are a complete rookie, you definitely need seasoned vets on race
committee to help you determine what course you will run and how to set the
start line depending upon current conditions. Most skippers want to have
the race run as close to upwind and downwind as possible. It highlights the
performance of the boat and crew when they race dead into the wind and dead
down wind.


wrote in message
oups.com...
Can I adjust this PHRF number based on how many bottles of booze a
skipper buys me? I know this wont work cuz I have about as much
patience for sailboat racing as I do for fishing........none. I sorta
got dragooned into it cuz nobody else would do it and I said yes in a
moment of weakness.

I just hope nobody takes this very seriously, I sure don't. They asked
me to use my boat as the committee boat. Does that mean I'm s'posed to
make margaritas for the race committee? I dont have a blender aboard.

About 10 yrs ago, I was asked to write up some handicap rules for an
April 1st race. So, they went sailing and when they came back my rules
were applied. I vaguely remember:

1. Wearing of any yachty attire -10 pts
2. Paid your fed user fee (later repealed) and have said sticker on
boat -9
3. Anybody wearing deck shoes -2pts/pair +10 pts if an odd number.
and any other BS I could think of.

The racers were so angry they wouldnt talk to me even though I was
ASKED to write screwball rules. Probably the only reason I was asked
to be on the committee now is that all the people in that fiasco have
moved on.

Terry,
There are many different guesses as to what PHRF stands for, according to US
Sail it is Performance Handicap Racing Fleet

http://www.ussailing.org/phrf/

When I race, there are very few penalty flags raised. Most experienced
sailors know when they commit a rule violation and take their 720 penalty.
I probably have only seen two penalty challenges made after the race, even
if their is lots of arguments made during the race. Normally the skipper
who committed the penalty realizes it, and takes his 720.


"Terry Spragg" wrote in message
...
wrote:

I have just volunteered to be on the local club race committee and I
know nothing at all about sailboat racing. BTW, what is a "Perf"?


Performance History Rating Handicap

Used to match skippers and luck -o -the -wind instead of bank accounts. A
smart guy in a crappy old boat can beat a billionaire on handicap.

It's a lot like a golf handicap.

It's rating is seconds per course mile to be deducted from total time.
It's based on every race ever held under the rules. There is a book that
says what boat gets what allowance. Check out the PHRAssociation.

A well organised race has different classes all supposed to finish at the
same time, makes for a nailbiting finish, or not.

You will probably be set out in a rain barrel to record protest flags.

You must time every class start, every finish, adjust times, then declare
the winner. You must also score penalty turns, etc.

At a meeting, after the race, in a bar.

You poor SOB.

I was a professional umpire for one softball game. That was enough.

Terry K

Correction, Red Flags might have been raised , but are normally dropped
immediately when the guilty party takes his 720.


"Starbuck's" wrote in message
. ..
Terry,
There are many different guesses as to what PHRF stands for, according to
US Sail it is Performance Handicap Racing Fleet

http://www.ussailing.org/phrf/

When I race, there are very few penalty flags raised. Most experienced
sailors know when they commit a rule violation and take their 720
penalty. I probably have only seen two penalty challenges made after the
race, even if their is lots of arguments made during the race. Normally
the skipper who committed the penalty realizes it, and takes his 720.


"Terry Spragg" wrote in message
...
wrote:

I have just volunteered to be on the local club race committee and I
know nothing at all about sailboat racing. BTW, what is a "Perf"?


Performance History Rating Handicap

Used to match skippers and luck -o -the -wind instead of bank accounts. A
smart guy in a crappy old boat can beat a billionaire on handicap.

It's a lot like a golf handicap.

It's rating is seconds per course mile to be deducted from total time.
It's based on every race ever held under the rules. There is a book that
says what boat gets what allowance. Check out the PHRAssociation.

A well organised race has different classes all supposed to finish at the
same time, makes for a nailbiting finish, or not.

You will probably be set out in a rain barrel to record protest flags.

You must time every class start, every finish, adjust times, then declare
the winner. You must also score penalty turns, etc.

At a meeting, after the race, in a bar.

You poor SOB.

I was a professional umpire for one softball game. That was enough.

Terry K

They DO take it seriously. One of em called tonight to arrange a
lesson in flag ettiquette (or something like that). I am NOT the
yachty type. My cockpit is filled with extra fuel cans and my idea of
flag useage is to clothespin em to the shrouds if ever needed, I am so
screwed.