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.

Starbuck's wrote:
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



And that's supposed to be fun?

Major anal, IMO.

But what do I know? I'm a proud stinkpotter.





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"?

Gould,
If you want to have fun, place yourself close to the windward mark during
one of the PHRF races. You will hear more cussing and name calling than you
do in rec.boats.



wrote in message
oups.com...

Starbuck's wrote:
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



And that's supposed to be fun?

Major anal, IMO.

But what do I know? I'm a proud stinkpotter.





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"?

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

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.

wrote:
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.


You may have to act as the start & finish line. The clubs here have
some fixed object as one point and the race committee boat as the other.
between them is 'the line'. You'll have to raise flags, shoot off
start gun etc.

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.