MERLIN ROCKET FORUM

Topic : Great Lakes Hadicapping

If you've competed in any of the Sailjuice Winter series you will be aware that they are using a a new set of ratings (called the Great Lakes Handicapping System) derived from the last 5 years of winter events. The results seem to show a much better spread of classes in the top positions and to be a stepped imporovement on the RYA PYR system that takes much longer to reflect speed changes in developing classes. The only hiccup was the Bloody Mary with the FF Moths but suspect they will get hammered in the next revision. I know the Merlin took a small cut as well but we still seem to be in the mix.
Grafham also intends to use these handicaps for Club racing and there is a good explanation of why on http://www.grafham.org/?p=4166 .
Class racing will always be the best form of competition but for those still racing on handicap these do seem to yield a fairer spread of results.

Any views anyone?


Posted: 25/02/2012 11:42:30
By: Dave
Hi Folks

Yes, we had an interesting chat on Saturday afternon after sailing. Andy and I agree the new numbers are good and show a good spread of boats. When did you last see a Laser in the hunt.

The one problem is it does not allow for the faster boats, especially the high performance asymetrics and courses they normally sail. To compound this all high performance boats due to the more often mark roundings, hoisting/dropping of kites etc proportional to their normal sailing, find that, say the 8 - 10% of their race conducting these actions. This results in their unlikely to be able to perform to the designated PY. Boats where this has happened this year, to name but 3 are the 505, MPS and B14.

However, with the numbers being provided from this year's series, think we'll see some changes for the next series.

One thing is certain, the racing is much harder than it was. This weekend we worked out, when we won a 36 minute race by 3.5 minutes, we needed to be another 3 minutes up the track and that was physically impossible. Good to see the Laser up there though and we may stand a chance to get revenge at the Hoo Freezer as the legs are longer than about 3 - 5 minutes.

So what happened to the Merlins this wekend as they could have murdered the event?


Posted: 27/02/2012 14:38:56
By: Mark Barnes
The Draycote Dash was thoroughly enjoyable - ok dodgy winds in the first Sunday race but the rest was great. I just could not get anyhere near to sailing to a PY of 990, so much so that I was last in the Pursuit. I have just come out of an Enterprise and looking at the result of one of my old foes, I would have expected to come about 30ish in the Ent rather than 70th in the Merlin. I put most of it down to the fact I am sailing an NSM2 with all alloy spars (makes me feel better about our performance, anyway). Inexperience in a Merlin would have been a factor too. 
I am not sure I'd be tempted back to one of the Sail juice events sailing to a PY of 990 but I am sure it would be far too complicated to start applying different handicaps to differnt ages of boat in such an event.
I have to say it is great to see a wider range of classes at the top.


Posted: 27/02/2012 19:57:50
By: Russ B.

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