Following the extensive, and largely justified, debate on the Forum recently about the 2010 PY for the Merlin Rocket, the committee have agreed the following amendments to the MR PY age allowance scheme that we publish in the year book.

     Amend the starting date of the discount from 1989 to 1999. 
     Amend the starting sail number from 3430 to 3554. 
     Add 10 to all existing age bands from 1989 onwards.

This will compensate for the recent downward movement in the published number for the MR, and will mean that there is a small increase in the age adjusted PY suggested for all boats to which the allowance is currently applicable.  For example, a boat sailing last year off 1024, will now be sailing off 1026 (-8 from the 2010 PY reduction, + 10 from the age allowance), and a boat sailing off 1054 last year, will now be sailing off 1056.  It is hoped that this small increase will assuage some of the criticism (never all, of course) that the handicap for older boats is progressively dropping, despite them not getting faster.
 
This proposal will also bring all pre-winder boats into the age allowance scheme, so a boat number 3539, for example, may sail off 1016 in a handicap race.
 
The first allowance band remains at 10 years (1989 to 1999), rather than following the 5 year pattern that applies to the rest of the age bands.  Having looked at the boats that a 5 year iniital band would include (Wild Card 3656, Artemis 3652 etc) it does not seem justifiable to give this age of boat any discount given how competitive they remain.
 
These amendments retain the essential simplicity of the existing arrangements, and while a compromise, as all handicaps are, will be of benefit to many members.
 
There are no amendment to the De-May allowances, which assume a base of 1000 and operate independantly of the PY numbers.

The published numbers will change on the Forum here, and will be recommended with immediate effect.

Happy Handicap Racing!!

GGGGGGGG

Do these numbers relate to boats in sailing condition as first certified under the past rules or do they apply regardless of the amount of modernisation that has been added to the boat using newer rules?

They are a compromise, like all handicap systems.

I have updated the online table which lists the bands and offsets.

Hooray, that helps 3434.

Mags, will all those email addresses above get harvested by the spam-bots??

Hey Pat,

does this mean I get something betterer than 88 at cvrda events?

D

Pat - I have removed the unwanted email text from the above post.

Davidh less than 88? - we use a similar system to the RYA - it depends on results so you have to actually race at events AND finish to get it looked at ;-)

Pat, we will finish a race somewhere.  I will attempt at Hunts to pull the traveller off, but we should still be able to finish.  David, will just have to sheet off the boom one to one, like the hero he is!!!  But I must admit the handicap is a bit mean!!

Jon

Have bought a lifetimes supply of sticking plasters, for my backside and shins, and expect to use them ALL in the first lap!!

If use use a lifetime supply of plasters on the first lap I shall come for you as you start the second.

Would now be a good time to fix the PY numbers (at what they are currently at), rather than keep them on the sliding scale of 'New MR number +xx'?

Merlin 1 - 3553 are not going to be getting quicker (or slower) at the same rate as the new boats...

Some of the upgrades do speed up all boats though, mine didn't have a carbon mast or big kite/long poles from new.  If you don't take advantage of the developments you can ask for a dispensation from your club.

Or sail a one design?